Treat symptoms of heart attack and stroke very seriously
Posted Sep 12, 2022 12:15:00 PM.
Alberta Health Services (AHS) is reminding people of the seriousness of heart attacks and strokes, and the importance of not delaying treatment to avoid serious consequences.
According to AHS, treating heart attacks quickly reduces heart damage. And delaying stroke treatment by even 25 minutes can result in severe disabilities or death.
“Heart attacks and strokes are time-dependent conditions where effective, life-saving treatments are regularly used, but they need to be applied very shortly after symptoms appear,” said AHS.
Signs of a heart attack include chest pain or discomfort, sweating, upper-body discomfort, nausea, shortness of breath, and being light-headed.
Signs of heart attack and stroke may vary between men and women. Women, for instance, can have a heart attack without experiencing chest pain.
AHS says signs of stroke can be discovered by doing the “FAST” test:
- F stands for face — Is it droopy?
- A stands for arms — Can you raise both?
- S stands for speech — Is it slurred?
- T is time, which means call 911 immediately.
