Don’t Neglect Signs of a Heart Attack
The NY Times posted an interesting article on April 6th entitled ‘Where Have All the Heart Attacks Gone? They note that hospitals are eerily quiet except for Covid-19 cases. Medical professionals across the globe are questioning where are all the patients with heart attacks and strokes?
One of the conclusions is that patients are scared to go to hospital and would rather stay home and suffer than seek the necessary care.
This is extremely dangerous and we want to remind our patients of a few important facts:
- Don’t delay needed treatment. If this pandemic leads people to delay or avoid care for heart related issues, the death rate will extend far beyond those directly impacted by the virus.
- Time to treatment dictates the outcomes for people with heart attacks and strokes.
- Hospitals are equipped not only to care for people with covid-19, but also those who have other life threatening problems.
- Avoidance of care for people with chronic conditions can ultimately be as big a threat as the virus itself.
- The pandemic toll will be much worse if it leads people to avoid care for life-threatening, yet treatable, conditions like heart attacks and strokes.
Common heart attack signs and symptoms include:
- Pressure, tightness, pain, or a squeezing or aching sensation in your chest or arms that may spread to your neck, jaw or back.
- Nausea, indigestion, heartburn or abdominal pain.
- Shortness of breath.
- Cold sweat.
- Fatigue.
- Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness.
Our team is here for you! Contact our offices if you experience heart attack symptoms and we can guide you on next steps.