Heart Attack Symptoms
- Chest Discomfort: Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, pain squeezing, or fullness. Women often report other symptoms, such as nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting, fatigue, and dizziness.
- Discomfort in other areas of the body: Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath: with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs: May include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
- Call 911.
Stroke Symptoms: Spot a Stroke F.A.S.T.
- Face Drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.
- Arm Weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
- Speech: Is speech slurred, are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like "the sky is blue." Is the sentence repeated correctly?
- TIME TO CALL 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 9-1-1 and get them to the hospital immediately.
Cardiac Arrest Symptoms
- Sudden loss of responsiveness: No response to tapping on shoulders
- No normal breathing: The victim does not take a normal breath when you tilt the head up and check for at least five seconds.
- What to do: If you have tried and failed to get the person to respond, and you think the person may be suffering cardiac arrest:
- Yell for help: Tell someone nearby to call 911 or your emergency response number. Ask that person or another bystander to bring you an AED (automated external defibrillator), if there’s one on hand. Tell them to hurry – time is of the essence.
- Alone with an Adult: If you’re alone with an adult who has these signs of cardiac arrest, call 911 and get an AED (if one is available). Check breathing - if the person isn’t breathing or is only gasping, administer CPR.