A survey from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that too many Americans don’t know all the warning signs of a heart attack. Do you?
More bad news from the CDC when it comes to heart attacks:
- More than nine hundred thousand Americans have heart attacks each year.
- More than one hundred and fifty thousand Americans die from a heart attack each year.
- Approximately seventy five thousand Americans die within an hour of symptom onset.
Quick action and awareness of the symptoms are critical if you’re going to survive a heart attack.
In case you weren’t sure, the five most common signs of a heart attack are:
- Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back
- Feeling weak, faint, or lightheaded
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Pain or discomfort in the arms or shoulder
- Shortness of breath
What would you do if you or a loved one experienced these symptoms? Hopefully, you’d call 911 to get emergency help. Most times, that is the best way to get help in the shortest amount of time. Going to the emergency room or calling your doctor could waste critical time.
The CDC study used data from a Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System that involved more than seventy thousand Americans from across the country. More than three-fourths of the respondents knew to call 911 if they suspected a heart attack, but less than a third recognized all five warning signs.
The American Heart Association has a goal now: raise awareness of heart attack signs to fifty percent of the population. Eventually, sure, they’d like to reach the entire population. But little steps will make it happen. Plus, if one out of every two people knows the signs of a heart attack, then you’ve got a good chance of being near someone who knows them — even if you don’t.
Don’t think a heart attack could never happen to you. Even if you never suffer a heart attack, there’s a good chance that someone you know might. Knowing the signs could save their life.