Green Bay – Every 43 seconds, someone in the United States has a heart attack, according to the American Heart Association. In Green Bay, HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and its sister hospital, HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, treated 64 people for heart attacks in 2016.
During American Heart Month, the heart experts at HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center offer the following information about heart attacks that could save your or a loved one’s life.
What are the early symptoms of a heart attack?
A heart attack may cause various types of discomfort that are not generally perceived as “pain” and are not necessarily in the chest. The discomfort may:
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Feel like indigestion
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May not be in a specific spot
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Be felt in the chest, the inner arm (especially the left arm), the jaw or teeth, or other parts of the body
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Get worse with activity and subside with rest
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Come and go, and increase over time; each new pain recurs sooner, lasts longer and feels worse
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Be accompanied by sweating, shortness of breath or flu-like symptoms
What should I do if I, or someone I care about, is having some of these symptoms?
Go straight to your nearest hospital Emergency Room. In Brown County, immediate care can be best obtained by calling 911. Whatever you do, just don’t waste valuable time. At the Emergency Departments of HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center, a doctor and other specialists can examine you. They have advanced testing capabilities and state-of-the-art treatments readily available.
Who should be concerned about heart attacks and early heart attack symptoms?
There is no “typical” heart attack victim. Women experience nearly the same number of heart attacks as men. People as young as 20-years-old have heart attacks, even highly conditioned athletes in their prime. Sadly, some people have no idea they are at risk for a heart attack until it strikes. Some people have “risk factors” that make them more likely candidates for heart attack.
Risk factors include:
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About HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center
HSHS St. Vincent Hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s Hospital Medical Center have been delivering quality health care to Green Bay and its surrounding communities since 1888. With HSHS St. Vincent being the largest tertiary care hospital and HSHS St. Mary’s location on Green Bay’s west side, patients from Northeastern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan benefit from a comprehensive range of services that include cancer care, women’s services, emergency and trauma care, preventive care across the lifespan, digestive health, orthopedic, cardiac care, neurosciences, rehabilitation and pediatrics. Affiliates of Hospital Sisters Health System, the hospitals primary purpose is to continue Christ’s healing love through the delivery of competent and compassionate health care in an environment sensitive to the needs of all people. Both hospitals have been named one of the “100 Top Hospitals” nationwide and are accredited by the Joint Commission of Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations. Affiliates of Hospital Sisters Health System, we draw on the history of St. Francis of Assisi as we move to continue serving the health care needs of our area in Christ’s healing ministry, caring for all people.
About Hospital Sisters Health System
Hospital Sisters Health System’s (HSHS) mission is to reveal and embody Christ’s healing love for all people through our high quality, Franciscan health care ministry. HSHS provides state-of-the-art health care to our patients and is dedicated to serving all people, especially the most vulnerable, at each of our 14 Local Systems and physician practices in Illinois (Belleville, Breese, Decatur, Effingham, Greenville, Highland, Litchfield, and Springfield) and Wisconsin (Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Oconto Falls, Sheboygan, and two in Green Bay). HSHS is sponsored by Hospital Sisters Ministries, and Hospital Sisters of St. Francis is the founding institute. For more information about HSHS, visit www.hshs.org. For more information about Hospital Sisters of St. Francis, visit www.hospitalsisters.org.