Welcome to our website. Our goal is to help people recognize symptoms of a heart attack and then err to the side of caution if they believe they may be experiencing a heart attack. The best way to prevent death or permanent damage to the body while experiencing a heart attack is to seek professional medical emergency assistance (Call 9-1-1). It’s important to understand the signs of a heart attack so that you recognize the symptoms and take the appropriate action to seek medical assistance. We will go into the signs and symptoms of a heart attack as well as explain exactly what is happening to your body while experiencing those signs and symptoms. According to the National Institute of Health, American Heart Association, Center for Disease Control, Mayo Clinic and the Cleveland Clinic, some of the signs and symptoms that a person experiences during a heart attack are:

• Angina (chest pain) which is described as tightness, numbness, burning, heaviness and pressure or fullness that lasts for a few minutes or more. Sometimes this symptom is mistaken for heart burn or indigestion.
• Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
• Discomfort, numbness or pain in other areas of the upper body such as the left shoulder, arms, stomach, neck, back and even the jaw
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness, feeling faint or light headed
• Significant, even extreme fatigue and weakness
• Heart palpitations, rapid and/or irregular heart beats

What do you do if you are experiencing signs of a heart attack or are in the presence of someone experiencing signs of a heart attack?

I. The American Heart Association recommends seeking professional medical attention immediately by calling 9-1-1. They specifically state not to wait more than 5 minutes to call because minutes are valuable and minutes can save lives. If emergency services are not available, they recommend that the person experiencing heart attack symptoms get a ride to the emergency room immediately.

II. According to the National Institute of Health, the following is a step-by-step first aid for a person that may be experiencing signs of a heart attack:

i. Try to get the person to rest, sit down and remain calm.

ii. Loosen any tight clothing.

iii. Ask if the person takes any chest pain medication for a known heart condition.

iv. If the person has medication, help the person take the medication (usually nitroglycerin, which is placed under the tongue).

v. If the pain does not go away promptly with rest or within 3 minutes of taking nitroglycerin, call for emergency medical help.

vi. If the person is unresponsive, call 911 (or your local emergency number), then begin CPR.

vii. If an infant or child is unconscious and unresponsive, perform 1 minute of CPR, then call 911.

III. According to the Cleveland Clinic, some of the treatments given at the first sign of a heart attack are:

i. aspirin

ii. thrombolytic therapy ("clot busters")

iii. heparin

iv. other antiplatelet drugs

v. any combination of the above

IV. According to the Mayo Clinic, they also recommend acting immediately by:

i. Call for medical attention

ii. Take nitroglycerin if it has been prescribed by your doctor.

V. Also, according to the Mayo Clinic, the medications given to treat a heart attack are listed below:

i. Aspirin.

ii. Thrombolytics (Clot busters)

iii. Superaspirins (similar to aspiren to help new clots from forming)

iv. Other blood-thinning medications.

v. Pain relievers. If your chest pain or associated pain is great, you may receive a pain reliever, such as morphine, to alleviate your discomfort.

vi. Nitroglycerin. (temporarily opens arterial blood vessels and improves blood flow to the heart)

vii. Beta blockers. (muscle relaxers for the heart muscle to slow the heartbeat, decrease blood pressure and make it easier for the heart to pump) viii. Cholesterol-lowering medications.