Just a little heart attack
A few years ago, in a burst of self-improvement and with the urgency of a mother who loves me, I tried a juice cleanse. It didn’t even take a full day and
by evening I was sicker than I have ever been. I’ll spare you the details but every muscle in my body hurt the next morning. I took some ibuprofen, drank a
cup of coffee and went to work. At the end of the day, I was still slightly nauseous and my chest pain had not receded. I was growing a little panicked
that maybe this wasn’t a pulled muscle and I was having a little heart attack.
A great friend of mine had just sent me a heart attack video. The entertainment value alone was enough to keep me watching but it turns out there was great
information hiding in there too. Please watch.
Since heart attack is the #1 killer of American Women – I went to the emergency room at Atlantic General Hospital.
I urge every woman who experiences these symptoms provided by the American Heart Association to visit your local ER. Sometimes, it is “just a little heart
attack” and you may feel:
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or feeling lightheaded.
My story ends with a muscle relaxant, a reminder to consult a physician prior to trying fad diets and a really good baseline EKG. The doctors were happy
that I would have an EKG on file for the future as it can help determine if a heart attack has occurred. Not once did the staff at AGH make me feel as if I
had overreacted, they were very pleased that I recognized the symptoms and sought help.
Remember, heart disease is preventable with healthy eating and exercise. For more information on preventative measures, check out the Mayo Clinic.
Thanks for reading. Who will you share this video with?
