No Heart Left Behind

Know the Warning Signs

Together, review the information about symptoms below, watch the video segment, and then go over what to do in the event that a heart attack is suspected.

Why is this important?

Women often ignore symptoms that may indicate heart trouble.
More women than men die of heart disease because they wait too long before they seek medical assistance.

Many women experience no chest pain at all when having a heart attack, and many report flu-like symptoms for two weeks to a month prior. Some possible symptoms include:

Pain, pressure, fullness, discomfort or squeezing in the center of the chest.
Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing.
Stabbing chest pain.
Radiating pain to shoulder, neck, back, arm or jaw.
Pounding heartbeats (palpitations) or feeling extra heartbeats.
Upper abdominal pain.
Nausea, vomiting or severe indigestion.
Sweating for no apparent reason.
Dizziness with weakness.
Sudden extreme fatigue.
Swelling of the ankles or lower legs.
Panic with feelings of impending doom.

It's always a good idea to have symptoms checked out—better safe than sorry! It's never wise to second-guess what's happening, such as taking an antacid (Tums) to treat chest pain because you assume it’s just indigestion.

If you suspect a heart attack:

Call 911.
Say “I am having a heart attack.”
Chew an uncoated aspirin right away. This can reduce damage to your heart.
Go to the nearest facility with 24-hour emergency care. Even if you're unsure it's serious. Don't drive yourself.

Remember Jamie's Story? Discuss how the outcome might have been different if Lea, the mother, had recognized her symptoms as being related to her heart.

Review her goals for the week:

Continue to fit in physical activity as much as possible. The goal for heart health is to fit in 30 minutes at least five days per week.
If she's done well with last week's nutrition goal, suggest she pick another dietary goal to work on. Or she can keep working on her original goal and keep track.

Coaching tip

Small steps add up to big rewards. Every step needs to be applauded. If the person you are coaching makes a small change in her eating or activity habits, act like it’s a major success, because it is!

Weekly review question

Q: True or false. If you have chest pain, take an antacid (Tums) because it’s probably just indigestion.

A: False. Call 911 and get medical attention. Better safe than sorry!