I am a 58-year-old female who had a heart attack three weeks ago. The symptoms had been there for about a month: brief periods of a burning pain in my chest, and pain in my jaw, face, shoulder, back and arm, all on the right side. I awoke in the night with the pain and this time it wouldn't ease up. I took aspirins and started vomiting. I went to the emergency room and it was determined that I was having a heart attack. Three stents were placed in my heart. I've been home for almost three weeks and doing a total lifestyle change. I am not overweight and I have low blood pressure, and the pain was on my right side instead of the left. It's best to get all pain diagnosed instead of waiting like I did. A heart attack can hit women in many different ways.
Comment from: Wifey, 55-64 Male (Caregiver)Published: March 04
My husband is 58 and had chest pain but, like so many, relegated it to heart burn. (He suffers from acid reflux.) He told me on the first evening that he felt as if someone had punched him in the chest. I wanted to take him to the ER, but he would not go. I gave him an aspirin and some antacid.
Next afternoon, he took himself to the doctor who told him to get some Mylanta on the way home, but that his blood pressure was high so he wanted to see him next morning at 8:30. He was sent for blood tests (25 miles away -- he drove himself there and back). The doctor called my husband at 11 a.m. and told him to come right to his office. This time, I went with him. I told the doctor I was on my lunch hour and he said, "It's going to be a long lunch hour." My hubby was taken by ambulance to a hospital 45 miles away. He spent three days in the ICU and was sent to another hospital 150 miles away for a dye test. There is slight damage to his heart and minimal damage to his arteries, and one month later, he is recovering well. We have a new lifestyle, but we are so thankful. Don't play around! Go to the ER even if you feel slightly "off."
Comment from: redbug70, 55-64 Male (Patient)Published: November 18
I'm a 56-year-old man who had a heart attack. It was on a hectic Tuesday morning. The first symptom was aching in my left shoulder, which I attributed to sleeping wrong the previous night. Shortly after that came profuse sweating and a clammy, uneasy feeling. Then the pressure in my chest began. I was certain it was indigestion. Eventually, I knew what was happening and, in disbelief, I drove to the local ER. I have received both cheers and jeers for driving myself. I truly believe I saved valuable time by doing so. I never felt I was losing control at that point. The ER staff reacted immediately. In a short time, a stent was placed. I think reacting as quickly as I did, along with the prompt ER treatment, saved me from "the big one." It got my attention, and now I'm trying to make the necessary lifestyle changes.
Comment from: mrogerson, 25-34 Female (Patient)Published: September 11
I was a 32 year old female who worked in the hospital. I had worked all day and had 1 more hour left of my shift. I went out to smoke as I always did. When I came back in, I was walking down the hall and I suddenly felt like I was getting the flu. All the joints in my upper body ached on both sides. I sat down for a bit. Someone was talking to me and I felt like I was fading away. I had to get up and move. I felt very agitated and couldn't sit still. Then the sweating came. In seconds, I was drenched. I told my coworkers that I didn't feel right and I was going to the ER. I thought it might be my blood sugar. The ER doc immediately pushed the chair I was in to the bed because he said something didn't look right. They did EKG and it was normal. About 10 mins. later I had a pain in the center of my chest. Did another EKG and said I was having a heart attack. They gave me Retavase and had me airlifted to the bigger hospital. I had a heart cath and 2 stents placed. 2 days later, I had another heart attack, another cath, and 2 more stents. Needless to say, I had major life changes. Quit smoking and try to live a healthy life. At 32 who would have thought. But it has been a year and I'm still here.
Comment from: Tracer, 55-64 Female (Patient)Published: August 12
I am a cancer patient. During a chemotherapy treatment last December, I had an anaphylactic reaction to the chemo. Six days later, as I sat on the living room couch doing the Sunday crossword, I felt a severe pain under my breastbone and suddenly felt extremely ill. I knew immediately what was happening and asked my daughter to call 911. I was quickly transported to the hospital, where I actually went into cardiac arrest in the ER. Luckily for me, I was stabilized and sent on to another hospital with a cardiac catheterization unit where I had a stent placed. Even luckier, because of the immediate treatment, I had no damage done to my heart. The cardiologists believe that the anaphylaxis was the trigger (if not the underlying cause) of the attack.
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Low blood pressure, also referred to as hypotension, is blood pressure that is so low that it causes symptoms or signs due to the low flow of blood through the arteries and veins. Some of the symptoms of low blood pressure include light-headedness, dizziness, or even fainting if not enough blood is getting to the brain. Diseases and medications can also cause low blood pressure. When the flow of blood is too low to deliver enough oxygen and nutrients to vital organs such as the brain, heart, and kidneys; the organs do not function normally and may be permanently damaged.
Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a condition in which the heart's function as a pump is inadequate to meet the body's needs. A poor blood supply resulting from congestive heart failure may cause the body's organ systems to fail, leading to a weakened heart muscle and fluid accumulation in the lungs and body tissue. There are many diseases that can impair pumping efficiency and symptoms of congestive heart failure including fatigue, diminished exercise capacity, shortness of breath, and swelling. Treatments include lifestyle modifications, medications, heart transplant, and therapy.
High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is a repeatedly
elevated blood pressure exceeding 140 over 90 mmHg -- a systolic pressure above
140 with a diastolic pressure above 90. There are two causes of high blood pressure, primary and secondary. Primary high blood pressure is much more common that secondary and its basic causes or underlying defects are not always known. It is known that a diet high in salt increases the risk for high blood pressure, as well as high cholesterol. Genetic factors are also a primary cause. Secondary high blood pressure is generally caused by another condition such as renal hypertension, tumors, and other conditions. Treatment for high blood pressure is generally lifestyle changes and if necessary, diet.
Blood clots can occur in the venous and arterial vascular system. Blood clots can form in the heart, legs, arteries, veins, bladder, urinary tract and uterus. Risk factors for blood clots include high blood pressure and cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, and family history. Symptoms of a blood clot depend on the location of the clot. Some blood clots are a medical emergency. Blood clots are treated depending upon the cause of the clot. Blood clots can be prevented by lowering the risk factors for developing blood clots.
Panic attacks are sudden feelings of terror that strike without warning. These episodes can occur at any time, even during sleep. A person experiencing a panic attack may believe that he or she is having a heart attack or that death is imminent. The fear and terror that a person experiences during a panic attack are not in proportion to the true situation and may be unrelated to what is happening around them. Most people with panic attacks experience several of the following symptoms: racing heartbeat, faintness, dizzyness, numbness or tingling in the hands and fingers, chills, chest pains, difficulty breathing, and a feeling of loss or control. There are several treatments for panic attacks.
Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition characterized by high levels of sugar (glucose) in the blood. The two types of diabetes are referred to as type 1 (insulin dependent) and type 2 (non-insulin dependent). Symptoms of diabetes include increased urine output, thirst, hunger, and fatigue. Treatment of diabetes depends on the type.
An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm. With an arrhythmia, the heartbeats may be irregular or too slow (bradycardia), to rapid (tachycardia), or too early. When a single heartbeat occurs earlier than normal, it is called a prmature contraction.
A stroke results from impaired oxygen delivery to brain cells via the bloodstream. A stroke is also referred to as a CVA, or cerebrovascular incident. Symptoms of stroke include: sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg. Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding. Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes, sudden trouble walking, dizziness, or loss of balance, and/or sudden severe headache with no known cause. A TIA, or transient ischemic attack is a short-lived temporary impairment of the brain caused by loss of blood supply. Stroke is a medical emergency.
Angina is chest pain that is due to an inadequate supply of oxygen to the heart muscle.
Angina can be caused by coronary artery disease or spasm of the coronary
arteries. EKG, exercise treadmill, stress echocardiography, stress thallium, and cardiac
catheterization are important tests used in the diagnosis of angina.
Palpitations are unpleasant sensations of irregular and/or forceful beating of the heart. Palpitations can be relieved in many patients by stress reduction, stopping cigarettes, and reduction of caffeine and alcohol.
Cholesterol is naturally produced by the body, and is a building block for cell membranes and hormones. Low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol is the "bad" cholesterol, conversely, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol is the "good" cholesterol. High cholesterol treatment includes lifestyle changes (diet and exercise), and medications such as statins, bile acid resins, and fibric acid derivatives.
Dementia is a significant loss of intellectual abilities such as memory capacity, severe enough to interfere with social or occupational functioning. There are different criteria classification schemes for dementias such as cortical, subcortical, progressive, primary, and secondary dementias. Other conditions and medication reactions can also cause dementia. Dementia is diagnosed based on a certain set of criteria. Treatment for dementia is generally focused on the symptoms of the disease.
Fainting, also referred to as blacking out, syncope, or temporary loss of consciousness has many causes. Often a person will have signs or symptoms prior to the fainting episode. Diagnosis and treatment depends upon the cause of the fainting or syncope episode.
Depression is an illness that involves the body, mood, and thoughts and affects the way a person eats and sleeps, the way one feels about oneself, and the way one thinks about things. The principal types of depression are major depression, dysthymia, and bipolar disease (also called manic-depressive disease).
Chest pain is a common complaint by a patient in the ER. Causes of chest pain include broken or bruised ribs, pleurisy, pneumothorax, shingles, pneumonia, pulmonary embolism, angina, heart attack, costochondritis, pericarditis, aorta or aortic dissection, and reflux esophagitis. Diagnosis and treatment of chest pain depends upon the cause and clinical presentation of the patient's chest pain.
Toothache usually refers to pain around the teeth or jaws. In most instances, toothaches are caused by tooth or jaw problems, such as a dental cavity, a cracked tooth, an exposed tooth root, gum disease, disease of the jaw joint (TMJ), or spasms of the muscles used for chewing. A toothache can also be caused by a problem that does not originate from a tooth or the jaw, like diseases of the heart (angina or heart attack), ear infections, and sinus infections. A thorough oral examination, which includes dental X-rays, can help determine the cause.
Polycythemia (elevated red blood cell count) causes are either primary (aquired or genetic mutations) or secondary (diseases, conditions, high altitude). Treatment of polycythemia depends on the cause.
Epilepsy is a brain disorder in which the person has seizures. There are two kinds of seizures, focal and generalized. There are many causes of epilepsy. Treatment of epilepsy (seizures) depends upon the cause and type of seizures experienced.
Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are premature heartbeats originating from the ventricles of the heart. PVCs are premature because they occur before the regular heartbeat. There are many causes of premature ventricular contractions to include: heart attack, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, mitral valve prolapse, hypokalemia, hypoxia, medications, excess caffeine, drug abuse, and myocarditis.
Heart rhythm disorders vary from minor palpitations, premature atrial contractions (PACs), premature ventricular contractions (PVCs), sinus tachycardia, and sinus brachycardia, to abnormal heart rhythms such as tachycardia, ventricular fibrillation, ventricular flutter, atrial fibrillation, atrial flutter, paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia (PSVT), Wolf-White-Parkinson syndrome, brachycardia, or heart blocks. Treatment is dependant upon the type of heart rhythm disorder.
Heart disease (coronary artery disease) is caused by a buildup of cholesterol deposits in the coronary arteries. Risk factors for heart disease include smoking, high blood pressure, heredity, diabetes, peripheral artery disease, and obesity. Symptoms include chest pain and shortness of breath. There are a variety of tests used to diagnose coronary artery disease. Treatment includes life-style changes, medications, procedures, or surgery.
Myofascial pain syndrome is muscle pain in the body's soft tissues due to injury or strain. Symptoms include muscle pain with tender points and fatigue. Treatment usually involves physical therapy, massage therapy, or trigger point injection.
Obesity is the state of being well above one's normal weight. A person has traditionally been
considered to be obese if they are more than 20 percent over their ideal weight.
That ideal weight must take into account the person's height, age, sex, and
build.
High blood pressure (hypertension) means high pressure (tension) in the arteries. Treatment for high blood pressure include lifestyle modifications (alcohol, smoking, coffee, salt, diet, exercise), drugs and medications such as ACE inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers, beta blockers, diuretics, calcium channel blockers (CCBs), alpha blockers, clonidine, minoxidil, and Exforge.
Pericarditis is the inflammation of the pericardial sac that surrounds the heart. The causes of pericarditis include injury from heart attack, heart surgery, trauma; viral or fungal infection, HIV, tumors, mixed connective tissue disease, metabolic disease, medication reactions, or idiopathic. Treatment for pericarditis is generally medication, however, sometimes surgery is necessary.
Smoking is an addiction. More than 430,000 deaths occur each year in the U.S. from smoking related illnesses. Secondhand smoke or "passive smoke" also harm family members, coworkers, and others around smokers. There are a number of techniques available to assist people who want to quit smoking.
A heart murmur is the sound generated when blood flow within the heart is not smooth. Causes of heart murmurs can be functional, congenital, or caused heart valve conditions. Symptoms of a heart murmur may be none, or may include chest pain, shortness of breath, and arm, leg, and ankle swelling. Treatment of a heart murmur depends on the cause.
Coma is the inability to waken or react to the surrounding environment. The Glasgow Coma Scale is frequently used to measure the depth of coma. Causes of coma include trauma, bleeding, edema, lack of oxygen, poisoning, or hypoglycemia. Prognosis for a patient in a coma depends on the cause of the coma.
When a portion of the brain loses blood supply, through a blood clot or embolus, a transient ischemic attack (TIA, mini-stroke) may occur. If the symptoms do not resolve, a stroke most likely has occurred. Symptoms of TIA include: confusion, weakness, lethargy, and loss of function to one side of the body. Risk factors for TIA include vascular disease, smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. Treatment depends upon the severity of the TIA, and whether it resolves.
Few experiences match the drama of a convulsive seizure. A person having a severe seizure may cry out, fall to the floor
unconscious, twitch or move uncontrollably, drool, or even lose bladder control. Within minutes, the attack is over, and the person regains consciousness but is exhausted and dazed. This is the image most people have when they hear the word epilepsy. However, this type of seizure -- a
generalized tonic-clonic seizure -- is only one kind of epilepsy. There are many other kinds, each with a different set of symptoms.
Epilepsy was one of the first brain disorders to be described. It was mentioned in ancient Babylon more than 3,000 years ago. The strange behavior caused by some seizures has contributed through the ages to many superstitions and prejudices. The word epilepsy is derived from the Greek word for "attack." People once thought that those with epilepsy were being visited by demons or gods. However, in 400 B.C., the early...
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I am a 58-year-old female who had a heart attack three weeks ago. The symptoms had been there for about a month: brief periods of a burning pain in my chest, and pain in my jaw, face, shoulder, back and arm, all on the right side. I awoke in the night with the pain and this time it wouldn't ease up. I took aspirins and started vomiting. I went to the emergency room and it was determined that I was having a heart attack. Three stents were placed in my heart. I've been home for almost three weeks and doing a total lifestyle change. I am not overweight and I have low blood pressure, and the pain was on my right side instead of the left. It's best to get all pain diagnosed instead of waiting like I did. A heart attack can hit women in many different ways.
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