No Heart Left Behind

Know the Warning Signs

This week, you and your coach will be talking about symptoms of a heart attack. For women, it's not always what you hear—the elephant on the chest (heavy pressure).

You'll also review what to do in the event that you experience any symptoms.

Women's symptoms can be different than men's. Women may experience one or more of the following:

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 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.

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. Don't second guess symptoms you may experience. For example, it's never a good idea to take an antacid (Tums) to treat chest pain because you assume that it's just indigestion. Seek medical attention and have it checked out.

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.

Your activities for this week:

Continue to work on increasing your physical activity. The goal is to get 30 minutes of physical activity at least five days per week (total of 150 minutes per week).
Attend the COPP Heart Healthy Nutrition Education and Cooking Demonstration (see schedule).
If you’ve done well with the nutrition goal you selected and feel comfortable, select another nutrition goal to work on and keep track on your food diary. Otherwise, keep working on your original goal until you feel comfortable that it’s something you can continue long-term.

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!