Chest Pain Awareness

Having chest pain & symptoms? Call 9-1-1 immediately!

Heart attacks have beginnings. These beginnings occur in more than 50% of patients. Most importantly, if recognized in time, these “beginnings” can be treated before the heart is damaged!

Early Signs

Early signs and symptoms that can begin hours or days before a heart attack. It's possible to only experience a few of these symptoms that may come and go before becoming severe.

• • • Nausea
    • Pain that travels down one or both arms
    • Jaw pain
    • Fatigue
    • Anxiety
    • Chest pressure, squeezing or discomfort
    • Back pain
    • Shortness of breath
    • Feeling of fullness
    • Indigestion

If you one or more of these symptoms, you owe it to yourself to get these symptoms checked out immediately.

Chest Pain in Women

As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back, throat, neck or jaw pain. These symptoms are not always recognized as a symptom of a heart condition in women. As a result, treatment for women can be delayed.

Angina is a warning sign of heart disease. Recognizing it and getting treated early is critical, as cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the U.S.

Learn about the warning signs of heart attack in women.

Alarming Statistics

• • • Heart disease causes approximately 1 of 4 deaths in the United States.
    • About 50% of sudden cardiac deaths occur outside a hospital. This suggests that many people don’t act on early warning signs.
    • Survey results show that only 27% of the respondents were aware of all major symptoms and knew to call 9-1-1.

By sharing Early Heart Attack Education (EHAC), we can change these sobering statistics!

Ottumwa Regional Health Center received Chest Pain Center accreditation from the American College of Cardiology. We are dedicated to providing our patients with the best heart care treatment available. As an accredited facility, we use the newest methods and best practices in heart care to ensure that our patients receive:

• • • Right care at the right time to minimize or eliminate heart damage due to a heart attack.
    • Timely and accurate diagnoses to reduce the disruption to your life and get you back home as soon as possible.
    • Help and communication to better understand how to respond to your heart emergencies.
    • Improved quality of life after a heart episode.

Visit these links to learn more about EHAC and Hands-Only CPR: 

• • • EHAC information
    • Hands-Only CPR