“Just a Little Heart Attack”

“Sorry to bother you, I think I may be having a little Heart Attack.” Can you imagine yourself saying this?  As I watched the American Heart Association’s video “Just a Little Heart Attack,” I could see how, as busy women, we could minimize something so big for the sake of making sure that those around us are taken care of.  The video features a busy mom getting her family ready for school and work.  Her morning is a blur, she is making sandwiches, drafting documents, doing laundry and all the while experiencing symptoms of heart attack.  But, she’s so busy that she doesn’t stop to acknowledge what her body is screaming at her until she finds herself on the ground.  The wisdom of her child literally saves her life as he tells her “Mom, I think you’re having a Heart Attack” and he pulls up the AHA website on her phone and shows her the symptoms.  

I can’t even pretend to know what is like to be a busy mom.  Sometimes I barely have the wherewithal to make sure I have lunch and clean socks, never mind another person. So I can only imagine the stresses of supporting a family while maintaining your health, which I think is the purpose of this video. To teach women to stop and take times for themselves and to listen to their bodies. The key part of the video for me was when she told the 911 operator, “Sorry to bother you, I think I may be having a little Heart Attack.” It made me realize how many of us think of our health ,not as a priority, but as a possible burden to someone else.  As she apologized for having a Heart Attack and for the inconvenience of her the importance of the Go Red For Women Campaign became clearer than ever: To educate women and empower women to be heart healthy.

So what are the major warning signs of a heart attack?

Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.

Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.

Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort.

But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

If you want to watch the video or learn more, check out this link:  http://www.goredforwomen.org/?popup=little-heart-attack

Best,

Ciji Dodds

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