Two Steps to Save a Life
- Call 911 right away.
- Repeatedly, push hard and fast in the center of the chest until help arrives. (Hands-only CPR)
A heart attack can strike at any time; knowing the symptoms and seeking the help you need is critical to surviving. Not all of the symptoms of a heart attack may occur. In fact, many heart attacks start slowly. A person experiencing a heart attack may be unsure or doubt that it is really happening.
Heart Attack Symptoms
The majority of damage that can occur as a result of a heart attack strikes within the first two hours, so understanding the symptoms and calling 911 right away are important. Here is a list of possible symptoms.
- Anxiety
- Arm pain that travels down one or both arms
- Back pain
- Chest pressure, squeezing or discomfort
- Fatigue
- Feeling of fullness in your stomach
- Jaw pain
- Nausea
- Shortness of breath
Heart Attacks Symptoms in Women
It’s important to note that heart attack symptoms vary among individuals and can affect each person differently. For example, women may experience a heart attack without having any chest pain. Women may instead experience the following symptoms, which are associated with a heart attack:
- Anxiety
- Indigestion
- Sleep disturbances
- Unusual fatigue
Act Fast in an Emergency
If you think you or a loved one is having a heart attack call 9-1-1 immediately. Do not drive yourself. Ambulances are specially equipped to provide treatment for a heart attack.
Froedtert Hospital attained Primary Heart Attack Center certification by The Joint Commission. Froedtert West Bend Hospital and Froedtert Menomonee Falls have attained Acute Heart Attack Ready Certification by The Joint Commission. This means that each of these locations has demonstrated a commitment to a high standard of service and seeks to maintain The Joint Commission’s high standards in providing cardiac care. We are the first in Wisconsin to have a Joint Commission-certified heart attack program.
The Society for Vascular Surgery's Vascular Quality Initiative (SVS VQI) has awarded Froedtert Hospital three out of three stars for its active participation in the Registry Participation Program. The mission of the SVS VQI is to improve patient safety and the quality of vascular care delivery by providing web-based collection, aggregation and analysis of clinical data submitted in registry format for all patients undergoing specific vascular treatments. The VQI operates 14 vascular registries.
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