I second nihil's advice. He is speaking from experience, he says he had a heart attack. I have worked on cases where people died of heart attacks. If you have heart attack symptoms, screw the expense and go to the nearest hospital equipped to handle cardiac stuff. I realize it's easy for me and him to say because we have Kaiser, but this is nothing to fool around with. I don't think an urgent care facility can run the blood tests you need. The hospital must at least treat you in the emergency room and will bill you later.
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HEART INFORMATION SERVICE
of the Texas Heart Institute
Symptoms of a Heart Attack
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Pressure, fullness, tightness or pain in the chest, lasting 5 minutes or longer
Persistent indigestion-like discomfort
Pain that radiates to the shoulders, arms, neck, jaw or back
Light headedness, dizziness, fainting, sweating or nausea
Unexplained shortness of breath
Anyone experiencing these symptoms for longer than 5 minutes should see a physician immediately. Call your emergency medical services (911) or have someone drive you to the nearest hospital emergency room. Do not drive yourself. It could be dangerous to yourself and to others. Many people delay potentially lifesaving care by denying that these signs indicate a heart attack.
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If you need information about keeping your heart healthy, e-mail the Heart Information Service
or call 1-800-292-2221. (Outside the U.S., call 713/ 794-6536.)
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Return to Heart Information Service main page
© 1997 Texas Heart Institute
URL: tmc.edu (Modified 6/19/98) |
