If you’re experiencing chest pain, you need answers – fast. Are you having a heart attack? Or is it simply stress or indigestion?

When should you seek help?
If you’re having a heart attack, every second counts. Because a heart attack occurs when there is a blockage in an artery, doctors need to open it quickly so the heart can get the oxygen it needs to function. Heart attack symptoms include:

• pain, tightness, pressure or heaviness in the chest
• pain radiating into the neck, shoulder, arms or jaw
• shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness or nausea
• indigestion
• a long bout of coughing

Some people may also experience atypical symptoms, like nausea and fatigue. “If you experience heart attack symptoms that last for more than a few minutes or if the symptoms come and go intermittently, call 911,” says Aziz Ahmed, MD, an interventional cardiologist with Adventist GlenOaks Hospital. Seeking help immediately is especially important for people who are at risk for heart disease. Risk factors for heart disease include:

• a history of smoking
• advancing age
• a family history of heart disease
• diabetes
• high blood pressure or cholesterol
• being obese or living a sedentary lifestyle

Diagnosing heart attacks
When patients come into the ER with heart attack symptoms, doctors use the following tools to diagnose them:

• an electrocardiogram (EKG), a test to help diagnose abnormal cardiac rhythms and damage to the heart muscle
• an echocardiogram, an ultrasound to detect structural abnormalities of the heart
• an angiogram, a procedure that uses X-ray imaging to see the inside of your heart’s blood vessels

Prevention
When it comes to preventing a heart attack, screenings can save your life. “When we catch heart disease earlier, we can treat it and help prevent a heart attack,” says Dr. Ahmed. Adventist GlenOaks Hospital offers patients a comprehensive screening to assess their risk for developing a heart attack. The Heart Score screening includes an EKG test, cholesterol screening, body-fat analysis and more. It’s especially helpful for people who smoke, have diabetes or have a family member who had a heart attack. Based on your score, your doctor may recommend taking a daily aspirin, which thins the blood and reduces the risk of clotting.

“When we know your heart disease risk, we can work together to make necessary lifestyle changes that can help prevent a heart attack from occurring,” Dr. Ahmed says.

Adventist GlenOaks Hospital is an accredited chest pain center. To earn this recognition, a hospital has to demonstrate an expertise and commitment to quality patient care by meeting or exceeding a wide set of strict criteria and completing on-site evaluations by a review team from the Society of Chest Pain Centers.

“This means we offer patients the best care available, as established by the American College of Cardiology. And every department and staff member – emergency, medical and surgical – follows the established protocols,” says Dr. Ahmed. This includes decreasing door-to-balloon time, which is the time between a patient entering the ER to the time their artery becomes unblocked. The American College of Cardiology recommends a time less than 90 minutes; Adventist GlenOaks Hospital responds an average of 15 minutes faster and all patients receive a specialized plan for discharge. 

Take your cardiac health to heart. Learn about all our Heart Score screenings and events in February by calling 866-533-7968.