Every 34 seconds, someone in the United States has a myocardial infarction, more commonly known as a heart attack, according to the American Heart Association.

[naviga:ul]

[naviga:li]Pain in other areas, such as one or both arms, the neck, jaw, back or stomach.[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Shortness of breath[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Nausea[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Cold sweats[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Indigestion[/naviga:li]

[/naviga:ul]

Heart attacks occur when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or cut off completely. Many people survive the heart attack, recover and can return to enjoying a normal life. But to increase the chances of recovery, it’s important to recognize the warning signs and seek medical attention right away.

How do you recognize the signs of a heart attack? We have all become familiar with the crushing chest pain symptom as the classic heart attack sign, but it’s not always as straight-forward as that. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Men and women often experience different symptoms.

Besides chest pain or discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, men can also experience:

Women also have chest pain as their most common symptom, but some have no acute pain and are somewhat more likely than men to experience other common symptoms, particularly:

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[naviga:li]Shortness of breath[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Nausea/vomiting[/naviga:li]

[naviga:li]Back or jaw pain[/naviga:li]

[/naviga:ul]

Talking about heart attacks hits very close to home for me. My father collapsed and died at age 59 -- right after shovelling our long driveway after a snowstorm. He had no known history of heart disease, but often complained of heartburn and indigestion. We don’t know if he had any chest pain symptoms at the time of his heart attack because he died so suddenly.

Years later, my mother complained to my youngest sister that she had been experiencing pain between the shoulder blades for a couple of weeks and thought it was related to moving furniture. Upon hearing that, my sister wisely told her to contact her primary care doctor immediately because she thought it could be cardiac -related. Her doctor directed her to chew an aspirin and called an ambulance, recognizing that she was experiencing a heart attack. I credit my sister’s quick thinking with saving my mother’s life.

The most important take-away message here is you may not be sure if you are having a heart attack, but don’t wait: check it out right away.

Call 9-1-1. If you can’t call, ask a family member or friend to call. Do not drive yourself to the hospital. The old adage holds true: “Better to be safe than sorry.” Act fast, call 9-1-1 and let the emergency medical services personnel do what they are trained to do. It may just save your life.