It’s important to know the signs and symptoms of heart disease. If you experience any of these signs and symptoms, please contact your physician:
- Numbness in your limbs
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling like your heartbeat is off, like racing or going too slow
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Fainting
Below is a list of signs and symptoms of heart attack, courtesy of the American Heart Association. If you think you are having a heart attack, call 911. Do not drive yourself to the hospital.
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and returns. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper 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.
- As with men, the most common heart attack symptom in women is chest pain or discomfort. Women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms. These include shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
Treating your signs and symptoms
The cardiologists at Ephraim McDowell Heart & Vascular Institute offer patient-centered care to treat heart disease. As a result of their expertise and training, patients are treated with advanced procedures.
One treatment option is cardiac rehabilitation. It benefits patients who have had a heart attack or have heart disease. We offer cardiac rehabilitation at the Ephraim McDowell Heart & Vascular Institute in Danville and also at Ephraim McDowell James B. Haggin Hospital in Harrodsburg. The program offers monitored exercise, education, and support. Services are customized to meet a patient’s individual needs. As a result of the program, patients learn how to be healthy despite their heart disease.