{"id":127850,"date":"2024-02-27T22:15:24","date_gmt":"2024-02-28T03:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=127850"},"modified":"2024-02-27T22:15:24","modified_gmt":"2024-02-28T03:15:24","slug":"know-the-signs-and-symptoms-of-heart-attack-survivor-says","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thevalleyledger.com\/?p=127850","title":{"rendered":"Know the Signs and Symptoms of Heart Attack, Survivor Says"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Capital Blue Cross \u2013 \u00a0<\/strong>THINK<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(Trusted Health Information, News, and Knowledge) is a community publication of Capital Blue Cross. Our mission is to provide education, resources, and news on the latest health and insurance issues.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Heart disease is the leading killer of women in the U.S., but education and awareness about risk factors, symptoms, and healthy lifestyle changes can prevent tragedy for some.<\/p>\n

Diane Schmidt never saw it coming, but then again, most seemingly healthy, petite, fit, 46-year-old women do not spend much time thinking about heart disease.<\/p>\n

That all changed in the early morning hours of Feb. 24, 2015, when Schmidt awoke nauseous, sweating, and with severe pain in her shoulders and jaw, telltale symptoms of the leading killer of women in the U.S.<\/p>\n

By sharing her story, Schmidt hopes to raise awareness about heart health and ways to prevent cardiac and stroke events, a mission shared by Capital Blue Cross through the work of its Health Promotion and Wellness team, and by educators at its five\u00a0Capital Blue Cross health and wellness centers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cHeart disease can hit anyone and any body type,\u201d Schmidt said.<\/p>\n

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for all adults, but minority groups are disproportionately affected, according to the\u00a0Cleveland Clinic.<\/a><\/p>\n

For example, Black women are more likely to have and to die from a heart attack than white women, and 47% of Black adults have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease compared to 36% of white adults.<\/p>\n

Social factors<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 social determinants of health \u2013 such as money and resources for basic needs, education, and access to quality healthcare, are a major factor in these disparities, say experts from the Cleveland Clinic.<\/p>\n

With a clean bill of health from her last checkup, Schmidt said a heart attack was the last thing on her mind on that fateful February morning in 2015. It had to be something else, she said, but a glimpse in the mirror shocked her into reality.<\/p>\n

\u201cI saw death,\u201d she said. \u201cIt was just that intense. I was white as a ghost. That\u2019s when I started looking up symptoms of a heart attack \u2013 shoulder and jaw pain, nausea, sweating \u2013 and realized I had all of those.\u201d<\/p>\n

She dialed 911, an ambulance whisked her away, and by day\u2019s end doctors had surgically inserted a wire mesh tube or stent to prop open a clogged artery and restore blood flow.<\/p>\n

Only in retrospect did Schmidt connect the dots about the warning signs.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was tired a lot,\u201d she said. The restaurant where she tended bar was up for sale. \u201cThere was some stress in my life.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to the\u00a0Journal of the American Medical Association<\/a>, chronic stress including family difficulties, job stress, loneliness, and other such triggers have a negative impact on the heart.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople can misread heart attack signs and symptoms or convince themselves that they are too healthy to be having a heart attack,\u201d said Dr. Jeremy Wigginton, Chief Medical Officer at Capital Blue Cross. \u201cBut it is a myth to think that heart attacks are just a problem for men, the aged, or the unfit.\u201d<\/p>\n

The American Heart Association published this list of common heart attack symptoms:<\/p>\n

Symptoms in Women:<\/strong><\/p>\n