Is it a heart attack?

Warning signs vary for men and women

It doesn’t always happen like you may think. A heart attack can sneak up without the classic symptoms.

While people often expect pain in the left arm or crushing tightness in the chest, there are other warning signs that something may be wrong.

Dr. Larry Rothstein

The expert cardiologists at McLaren Macomb and the Mat Gaberty Heart Center want to remind people that most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Unfortunately, that sometimes causes people to wait too long before getting help.

Knowing a few other warning signs may help. You may be having a heart attack if you have:

• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms may include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath – this may happen with or without chest discomfort.
• Nausea, lightheadedness, or you are breaking out in a cold sweat.

Chest pain is still the most common indicator of a heart attack, according to the American Heart Association. It may involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or it might be pain that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. This is what people often call the classic “elephant sitting on the chest” symptom.

Warning signs for women:

Again, the most common warning sign for women is chest pain, but women are more likely than men to experience some of the other symptoms. Women should especially be aware of symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Women may also experience upper back pressure or extreme fatigue.

Take action:

For both men and women, if you notice any of these symptoms, don’t wait more than five minutes before getting help. Call 9-1-1 right away and get to a hospital. In Macomb County, emergency medical responders know that McLaren Macomb is a fully accredited Chest Pain Center.

This national accreditation from the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care means that the hospital has met the highest standards for assessing, diagnosing and treating patients quickly.

In many cases, patients brought to McLaren Macomb are able to skip the emergency room and head directly to the catheterization lab for immediate diagnosis or life-saving treatment, such as balloon angioplasty, to open up blocked arteries.

Fast action is important. Immediate treatment of a heart attack can save lives and it can help to minimize damage to the heart.

For more information on McLaren Macomb and the Mat Gaberty Heart Center, please visit www.mclaren.org/macombheart

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