Heart attacks often share some symptoms with indigestion and fatigue, therefore it is not always clear when a person is suffering a heart attack. While indigestion is usually restricted to the stomach and abdomen, the warning signs of a heart attack are less localized and more varied. If you think you are experiencing an attack, call 911 immediately or get to a hospital.

Classic symptoms:

• Shortness of breath
• Squeezing chest pain, pressure, tightness or discomfort
• Sweating
• Nausea and vomitting
• Stomach Pain
• Anxiety
• Lightheadedness

Women may have all, none or a few of the classic symptoms.  The most common symptoms as men are the tightness, pressure, pain and discomfort in the chest.  But women tend to have symptoms not related to a heart attack.  These symptoms include:

• Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea or vomiting
• Abdominal pain or "heartburn"
• Sweating
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Unusual or unexplained fatigue

If you think you are suffering a heart attack, call 911 immediatley, timing is critical.  Emergency medical services have the technology and equipment to treat you while on the way to a Roper St. Francis ER.

Nothing is more important to remember during a heart attack than this:

Every second counts.

Statistics have proven that those who report to the emergency room immediately upon experiencing symptoms have much higher survival rates than those who decide to "wait to see." While it's only human nature to wait, a person who denies that he may be having a heart attack puts himself at greater risk for serious damage to his heart, or even death. Once a patient has arrived at a hospital, speedy treatment is critical. A report from the National Registry of Myocardial Infarction revealed that Roper Hospital's Time-To-Treatment is more than twice as fast as most hospitals in South Carolina and in the nation.

For more information, go to Roper St. Francis Heart Center.