HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — The American Heart Association’s annual Wear Red Day is today, Feb. 5, 2021. It’s part of the AHA’s “Go Red for Women’s Heart Health” initiative.
While many people are working from home and may not get to show off their red apparel, NHA officials still aim to educate people about what’s called a silent killer of women.
Tips from the American Heart Association include these lists of stroke and heart-attack symptoms:
Heart-attack symptoms
- Chest discomfort: Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the body: Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
Stroke symptoms
Health officials encourage people to memorize the tips using F.A.S.T.
Face drooping: Does one side of the face droop or is it numb? Check by asking the person to smile.
Arm weakness: It may be just one arm. Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
Speech difficulty: Not if the person’s speech is slurred, or if they unable to speak, or are hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “the sky is blue.” Is the sentence repeated correctly?
Time to call 9-1-1: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get them to the hospital immediately. Treatment within the first three hours of a stroke can make a big difference in their long-term recovery.
Learn more at heart.org/en/about-us/heart-attack-and-stroke-symptoms.
