For pities sake don't ignore chest pain.

[crazylegs]

Went to a job a few weeks ago where the pt had had chest pain for since Monday (we got there Thursday) and essentially woke up then died.

20 minutes of asystole despite ALS so we called it on scene.

If he'd called us on the Monday his wife would more than likely still have her husband and his teenage daughter wouldn't have had to have performed CPR on her father. Overall not a grand situation all round.

[Teskeria]

Some people ignore chest pain because every time they report it to their doctor, the doctor says (without even listening to the heart or anything) 'it's just heartburn'. They have been trained by their doctor that any pain in the chest is heartburn, so they figure it's the same thing only stronger.

[PandaHat]

To be fair on doctors, it may well have been heartburn every other time. But any kind of new/different chest pain should be reported to doctors, particularly if it's not easing/taking longer to ease than it normally does/not going away with normal remedy.

[FormerCallingCardRep]

I had to become a squeaky wheel to finally get my heart condition diagnosed. My first episode was 12 years ago this month. A heart cath was done and because there was no blockages they said it was stress related and sent me home. I have had doctors tell me that that it was all in my mind. I insisted to be sent to a diagnostic cardiologist after a very bad spell in March 2009 and was finally diagnosed in April 2009.

[kpzra]

Some people ignore chest pain because every time they report it to their doctor, the doctor says (without even listening to the heart or anything) 'it's just heartburn'. They have been trained by their doctor that any pain in the chest is heartburn, so they figure it's the same thing only stronger.

To be fair, you can tell by looking at 99% of people having a serious heart issue happening and know it. I've only seen it a few times, but you never forget the ashen look.

[Tama]

Ashen in what what?

[kpzra]

Their skin tone, it has a definite look that is an ashen gray.

[Seshat]

My husband has syncope (heart stopping) episodes. In his case, he'll be fine; but I can clearly describe what happens. It's .. well, it's just plain horrible, is what it is.

......


Then I thought about it, and erased what I'd been writing. From what I've heard, sometimes a heart episode that ABSOLUTELY requires urgent medical attention now now now doesn't look anything like a cardiac syncope.

I really, really don't want to be the cause of someone deciding not to call an ambulance 'because it wasn't like Seshat said'.

Trust me: you see someone in the condition my beloved is in when he has a syncope attack, you'll call an ambulance. <shudder>


Edit to add - for the curious and the medically inclined - it's neurocardiogenic syncope.

[kpzra]

Trust me, we'd rather transport someone who "thinks" they might be having heart issues than transport a body. When in doubt, call the emergency line.

[Cia]

My grandmother didn't want my dad to call 911 when she was having a heart attack because it wasn't like what she'd seen on tv or read about in magazines - ex. terrible crushing pain in the chest with shooting pains down the left arm. IIRC hers was a pressure in the chest that spread out to both arms. She survived it and was a bit POd to find out that the only descriptions of heart attacks out there are what is most common for men not women.

[kpzra]

Most people seem to describe it as a elephant sitting on their chest. A heaviness and being unable to take a deep breath.

[Seshat]

My grandmother didn't want my dad to call 911 when she was having a heart attack because it wasn't like what she'd seen on tv or read about in magazines - ex. terrible crushing pain in the chest with shooting pains down the left arm. IIRC hers was a pressure in the chest that spread out to both arms. She survived it and was a bit POd to find out that the only descriptions of heart attacks out there are what is most common for men not women.

This is EXACTLY why I decided not to describe what D looks like during his syncope attacks. If you ever see someone looking like he does, you WILL call for professional help! But if you see someone who looks like Cia's grandmother, you might go 'well, it's not the horrible ashen grey skin....'.

If in doubt, call the professionals. EVERY ambulance officer, cardiologist, ER staffer I have ever talked to about it has said 'if in doubt, call'.

Heart Foundation of Australia

Heart Attack Warning Signs as provided by the Heart Foundation, and linked to from St John's Ambulance.



Edit: Also, not all serious/urgent heart problems involve the heart actually stopping. That's another reason for 'if in doubt, call'.

[barainga]

One night my dad was having some minor issues, shortness of breath chest pain.. and numbness in his left arm.

Needless to say I got no more sleep that night as I had to drive him to the hospital. It was a heart attack, a very minor one but its not like we knew that at the time. Better to lose a nights sleep than my dad. He is gone now, has been for a few years but it was a series of strokes.

[evilfarmer]

A friend of mine lost her husband last year due to this and him being a stubborn &*() *her word not mine*

He had been in congestive heart failure for a while and had been told by doctors in California where they previously lived and here that he need to change how he was living. He was a big man who did blacksmith forging those puny doctors don't know anything. Well apparently he was having mini strokes as well but Sandra didn't know or realize it. When she called a doctors office to cancel an appointment she found after he passed away the nurse told her "Oh you must be so releaved" because he wasn't supposed to be driving or anything strenuous.

She states to this day she wishes she had taken her big skillet and hit him with it to get him to the hospital. Instead he said "I just need to lie down for a bit I'll be fine" and then died there.

[PandaHat]

My grandmother didn't want my dad to call 911 when she was having a heart attack because it wasn't like what she'd seen on tv or read about in magazines - ex. terrible crushing pain in the chest with shooting pains down the left arm. IIRC hers was a pressure in the chest that spread out to both arms. She survived it and was a bit POd to find out that the only descriptions of heart attacks out there are what is most common for men not women.

It's problem with medics too - as a medical student we're taught the classic symptoms, the male symptoms.* Apparently the "best" place for a woman to have a heart attack in Scotland is Glasgow because the rate of heart attacks is so high it's far more likely to be recognised.

*We're obviously also told about female symptoms too, but there's not as classic a pattern, so it's not necessarily the first thing that jumps to your mind.