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Know the Warnings - Know What to Do
What are the early symptoms of a heart attack?
A heart attack may cause various types of discomfort that is not
generally perceived as "pain" and is not necessarily in
the chest. The discomfort may:
- feel
like indigestion.
- be
felt in the chest, the inner arm (especially the left arm),
the jaw or teeth, or other parts of the body.
- get
worse with activity and subside with rest
- may
not be in a specific spot.
- come
and go, and increase over time - each new pain recurs sooner,
lasts longer and feels worse.
- be
accompanied by sweating, shortness of breath or flu-like
symptoms
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What
should I do if I, or someone I care about, is having some of these
symptoms?
Go straight
to your nearest hospital ER. In Brown County, immediate care can
best be obtained by calling 911. Whatever you do, just don't waste
valuable time. At the Green Bay Chest Pain Center, located in the
ER of St. Vincent Hospital and St. Mary's Hospital, a doctor and
other specialists can examine you. They can determine if your symptoms
are indeed signs of an early heart attack. The hospitals have advanced
testing capabilities and state-of-the-art treatments readily available.
Do this right away. Don't wait. A delay of even a few hours, could
literally make the difference between life and death, or the difference
between no heart damage and severe damage.
Why
is it important to be seen quickly?
Doctors and nurses can give you lifesaving medicines called "thrombolytic
drugs" that can break up blood clots and stabilize arteries.
This restores the flow of oxygen and nutrients needed to return
the heart to good working order. These drugs are effective only
if you receive them within the first hours of a heart attack - or
better still, before the arteries have become totally clogged.
To obtain more information
about one of the educational programs or to
schedule a session,
call (920) 433-8391.
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