Heart attacks present themselves in a variety of ways and symptoms may differ for men and women. Approximately 8,000 Mississippians die each year from heart disease. Read more to learn more about heart attack prevention, signs and symptoms, care, and treatment.

How do I know if I or a loved one is having a heart attack?

The signs and symptoms of a heart attack are as follows:

• Chest pain that may feel like pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing or aching.
• Pain or discomfort that spreads to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth or sometimes the upper belly.
• Cold sweats.
• Heartburn or indigestion.
• Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness.
• Shortness of breath.

Chest pain usually will last longer than 15 minutes and can be mild, severe of not present itself as a symptom. Some people have no chest pains or pressure at all. This is especially important to note in women who tend to have more obscure symptoms like nausea or brief or sharp pains in their necks, arms, or backs. Heart attacks can show warning signs and symptoms hours or days before a more severe episode or can strike without any advanced symptoms.

If you suspect you or a loved one is having a heart attack, dial 911 and do not attempt to drive yourself or he/she to the hospital. Read more about why here (insert link to Dial Don’t Drive blog).

How do I treat a heart attack?

Your medical team will run a series of tests to determine which type of heart attack you experienced. According to the American Heart Association[1] a heart attack occurs when a blockage in one or more heart (coronary) arteries reduces or stops blood flow to the heart, which starves part of the heart muscle of oxygen. If the heart attack was the result of a partial blockage, it is considered an NSTEMI heart attack and if there is a full blockage, it’s considered a STEMI heart attack. Treatments differ depending on your type of heart attack and range from prescription medications to catheterization procedures to surgery.

Heart Attack Prevention

The best way to stave off a heart attack is to prevent it. Healthy lifestyle choices are key to preventing heart attacks and include the following:

1. Do not smoke or vape. If you smoke or vape, quit. The American Lung Association provides a great list of resources to help you quit
2. Maintain a healthy weight. Extra body weight puts more stress on vital organs, muscles, and blood vessels. If you are unsure of what a healthy weight may be for you, learn more
3. Staying active can help you lose weight and reduce the impact of certain medical conditions that can contribute to heart disease like cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar. The guidelines for physical activity in adults vary depending on the type of activity and intensity. Read more about how to determine your physical activity requirements here.
4. Choose healthy foods and drinks. Aim to eat foods low in saturated and trans fats as well as sugar and sodium. Instead, focus on foods higher in fiber that contain vital nutrients. This applies whether you are overweight or have an average to below average body mass index.
5. Manage your medical conditions. Diabetes, hypertension, and high cholesterol put you at higher risk for heart attack. So, make sure you are taking your prescribed medications as directed, controlling your blood pressure, and working with your care team to take the steps required for your condition(s) to minimize your risk.

Learn more about heart attack prevention here.

About the Mississippi Healthcare Alliance

Our mission is to help hospitals, EMS agencies and communities. We have helped them by creating the STEMI System of Care (SOC), Stroke SOC, Cardiac Arrest Collaborative, and most recently, the Sepsis Collaborative, to provide standard care guidelines to reduce mortality, morbidity, and financial strains.

MHCA provides funding for numerous activities to reduce mortality, morbidity, and the financial burden in the State of Mississippi due to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and sepsis.

[1] https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/treatment-of-a-heart-attack