Not Enough People Know the Signs of a Heart Attackby Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger 23 Feb 2008 01:39 PM A survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that too many Americans don't know all the warning signs of a heart attack. Do you? More bad news from the CDC when it comes to heart attacks:
Quick action and awareness of the symptoms are critical if you're going to survive a heart attack. In case you weren't sure, the five most common signs of a heart attack are:
What would you do if you or a loved one experienced these symptoms? Hopefully, you'd call 911 to get emergency help. Most times, that is the best way to get help in the shortest amount of time. Going to the emergency room or calling your doctor could waste critical time. The CDC study used data from a Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System that involved more than seventy thousand Americans from across the country. More than three-fourths of the respondents knew to call 911 if they suspected a heart attack, but less than a third recognized all five warning signs. The American Heart Association has a goal now: raise awareness of heart attack signs to fifty percent of the population. Eventually, sure, they'd like to reach the entire population. But little steps will make it happen. Plus, if one out of every two people knows the signs of a heart attack, then you've got a good chance of being near someone who knows them -- even if you don't. Don't think a heart attack could never happen to you. Even if you never suffer a heart attack, there's a good chance that someone you know might. Knowing the signs could save their life. Learn more about Aimee Amodio  Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover... Relevanthealth tags User Comments  Crystal (98) 25 Feb 2008 05:24 PMMy husband had chest pains recently and was driven to an emergency room. In his case he is only 34 and does not look the part for a heart attack. Even when having the chest pains and shortness of breath he managed to look decent, he wasn't in the floor or anything. He was fine and goes for a stress test soon because they have not found out what happened that night yet. He has meds he has to carry around now until then. The point, you don't have to look the part and it doesn't have to be the traditional signs of chest pains, shortness of breath, and arm pain. I find those are about the only signs people know about. Any of the things you pointed out are reasons to see medical professional immediately. Very good thing to write about! Community Tags chest pain, heart attack, heart, heart attack symptoms Discuss this article
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