Both heart attacks and stroke are emergency situations that if not treated can have serious complications and poor outcomes for patients. Recognizing the signs and symptoms could save your life as well as someone else's life. Whenever anyone is experiencing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack or stroke, the American Heart Association advocates that you immediately call 911 for help (Reference 1).
Heart Attack
Heart attacks happen when the blood supply to the heart is reduced or completely blocked. The arteries that supply blood flow to the heart become narrower if there is a build up of fat and cholesterol, called atherosclerosis. Blood flow to the heart carries the oxygen the heart needs to survive. As the blood supply to the heart is reduced, the patient will start to experience signs and symptoms signaling them the heart is not getting the oxygen it needs.
Signs and Symptoms
Early warning signs of a heart attack will include chest discomfort. Patients may describe the pain as a feeling of tightness, pressure or fullness. Sometimes people will think they have indigestion and want to ignore the pain. In some instances the pain is described as a sharp, stabbing type pain. Patients may also feel like the pain is radiating into the neck, jaw and arms. The pain usually lasts for more than a few minutes, and it may go away and then come back (Reference 1). In addition to the chest discomfort, patients will complain of feeling short of breath. They may also complain of feeling sick to their stomach, lightheaded and sweating.
Stroke
A stroke happens when there is impaired blood flow an area of the brain, also called an ischemic stroke. According to "Clinical Diagnosis & Treatment Emergency Medicine", stroke most frequently occurs after age 60 years and the mortality, or death rate, is forty percent within the first month. Fifty percent of patients who survive will require long-term special care (Reference 2).
Stroke Signs and Symptoms
An person experiencing the symptoms of a stroke may notice a sudden unexplained numbness or weakness in the arm or leg, usually effecting one side of the body. They may complain of a headache, blurred vision and trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Because of the weakness, the patient may have difficulty walking with loss of balance or coordination. Additionally the patient will have confusion, slurred speech or difficulty understanding (Reference 1). When a person is experiencing the symptoms of a stroke, it may be others around the patient who notice these symptoms. For example, it may be family members who notice the slurred speech and confusion. Family members may notice that when the person smiles, one side of the face does not move as well as the other.
Transient Ischemic Attack
According to the American Heart Association, a transient ischemic attack, or TIA, is a mini-stroke that produces symptoms similar to a full stroke, but the symptoms go away and do not have any lasting damage (Reference 1). Recognizing and treating a TIA may reduce the risk of a major stroke.
Outcomes
For both heart attacks and stoke, patients who receive early medical intervention will have the best outcomes. In patients having a heart attack, opening the artery within 90 minutes from arrival in the emergency department, either with medications or a cardiac catheterization, is the optimal goal (Reference 2). For patients experiencing stroke symptoms, there is a clot-busting medication that can be given that will assist in decreasing the long-term disabilities associated with stroke. The medication must be given within 3 hours from the start of the stroke symptoms. Time is of the essence in both situations.
References
- American Heart Association: Warning Sigs of Heart Attack, Stroke & Cardiac Arrest
- "Clinical Diagnsis & Treatment Emergency Medicine"; McGraw Hill; 2008
