Heart Attack and other Cardiovascular
Diseases are AMERICA’S NO. 1 KILLER

 

STROKE WARNING SIGNS

• Face Drooping. Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.

• Arm Weakness. Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

• Speech Difficulty. Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like 'the sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?

• Time to call 9-1-1. If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.

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HEART ATTACK WARNING SIGNS

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

• Shortness of breath. This feeling can occur with or without chest discomfort.

• Other signs. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or light- headedness.

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As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

If you or someone you're with has chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other signs, don't wait to call for help, Call 9-1-1... Get to a hospital right away. Every minute matters.

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Originally Published by The American Heart Association