February is heart month across the country and that’s no different here at University Hospitals Samaritan Medical Center. For the entire month, we focus on the heart: how to keep it healthy, what to do in a heart-related emergency, and how to prevent those heart-related emergencies. UHSMC offers many services related to heart health and continues to expand expert heart care in the community.
A heart attack is a condition in which a critical blockage in one of the heart’s blood vessels causes damage to the heart muscle itself. Often this condition presents as chest pain, shortness of breath, or even fatigue. 85% of heart damage happens within the first two hours of a heart attack. When recognized early, a heart attack can be treated before the heart is damaged. Early heart attack care (EHAC) is understanding the subtle signs of heart attacks and acting immediately. EHAC is what saves lives!
What are the signs of a heart attack? Who is at risk? How can those risks be managed? What do I do if I think someone is having a heart attack? The UHSMC cardiology team has answered these questions. Our expert team of cardiology providers can help prevent heart attacks, can treat patients who do have heart attacks, and oversee every patient through the rehabilitation process during recovery from a heart attack.
Who is at risk?
Knowing personal risk factors helps manage that risk. General risk factors can include:
What are the symptoms of a heart attack?
Early symptoms may be mild and go away. Symptoms can increase in severity over time, eventually causing collapse. Recognizing subtle symptoms and seeking medical care immediately saves lives. Sometimes, early symptoms are:
What to do if you or someone else has symptoms
If you or someone else is experiencing these symptoms:
How to reduce risk of heart attack
Go to the doctor for regular checkups. Complete screenings like calcium scoring. You can also:
UH Samaritan offers a variety of cardiac services from emergency heart attack care to diagnostic and interventional procedures, with providers specializing in vascular surgery, electrophysiology, and interventional cardiology. We have providers who see patients in the coumadin clinic as well as the heart failure clinic and offer cardiac rehabilitation services to help manage all aspects of heart health.
For more information on UHSMC cardiology services or to schedule an appointment with Drs. Dallan, Harth, Jain, or Tashtish or nurse practitioners Katie Evans or Micheal Molnar, call 419-289-9800 or visit UHhospitals.org/SamaritanHeart.
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Learn subtle heart attack signs and how to prevent them
Reporting by Provided by Christina Vanderpool, Special to the Times-Gazette / Ashland Times Gazette
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
