Seniors Reminded of How to Decide if Thanksgiving
Pain is Heartburn or Heart Attack
Recognizing the difference could save your life, or
that of someone else at your celebration
Nov. 21, 2008 – You know the drill: join the family
for feasting on a high-fat, carbohydrate-filled meal followed by a
generous slice of pumpkin pie. Regret - brought on by the growing storm
in your stomach - begins before you even make your way to the couch.
While some people sleep off their heartburn, many
senior citizens are roused by alarming symptoms. The pain in their chest
– is it heartburn or heart attack? The symptoms are similar, but the
health consequences differ dramatically.
“We see people in the Emergency Room who think they
are only having severe heartburn or experiencing the flu when they are
actually having a heart attack,” said Nick Zenarosa, M.D., emergency
medicine physician on the medical staff at Baylor University Medical
Center at Dallas.
If you think you are experiencing heartburn, Dr.
Zenarosa recommends watching for the following symptoms which are not
typical of heartburn and could indicate a heart attack:
● Breaking into a
cold sweat
● Pain moving from the chest into the jaw, shoulder or arms
● Increased pain when you exert yourself
● Rapid onset of fatigue
● Shortness of breath
● Turning pale
● Slow or no response of symptoms to antacids
● Nausea and possible vomiting
Keep in mind that the signs of a heart attack can
be subtle, particularly in women.
If you are experiencing any of these signs, coupled
with chest pain and/or pain that radiates through your jaw or down your
arm, be sure to go to an Emergency Room.
Time is of essence when a person is having a heart
attack. According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the
sooner clot-busting drugs and other artery-opening treatments are
started, the more good they will do, and the greater the chances are for
survival and a full recovery.
For more information about Baylor University
Medical Center at Dallas, call 1-800-4BAYLOR or visit
http://www.BaylorHealth.com.
Keep up with the latest news for senior citizens, baby
boomers
Nov. 21, 2008 – You know the drill: join the family
for feasting on a high-fat, carbohydrate-filled meal followed by a
generous slice of pumpkin pie. Regret - brought on by the growing storm
in your stomach - begins before you even make your way to the couch.
● Breaking into a
cold sweat