General Safety
Heart Attack
Do not delay! When someone suffers a heart attack, minutes - especially the first few minutes - count. Know the warning signs!
Chest discomfort:
- What? Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing, or pain.
- Where? In the center of the chest behind the breastbone. It may spread to, or occasionally originate in, either shoulder, the neck, the lower jaw, or either arm.
- How Long? The discomfort of a heart attack usually lasts longer than a few minutes. It may come and go.
Other signs of a heart attack may include any, all, or none of the following:
- Chest discomfort and lightheadedness
- Fainting
- Sweating & Nausea
- Shortness of Breath. This is a more reliable indicator of heart attack in persons 75 and older. Only 40 percent of people 85 and older have chest pain during heart attack.
Stroke
Stroke is a common and serious brain illness. It results from blockage or rupture of a blood vessel. Warning signs or symptoms of stroke may include the following:
- Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm, or leg on one side of the body.
- Loss of speech, slurred or incoherent speech.
- Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness, or sudden falls.
- Loss of consciousness.
- Dimness or loss of vision, particularly in one eye.
- An unusual severe or sudden intense headache ("the worst headache of my life") can be an important warning sign of a brain hemorrhage.