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PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center

Heart attack: A holiday risk

A NEW HOME On Tuesday, Nov. 1, your cardiovascular doctors at PeaceHealth Southwest Heart & Vascular Center are moving to a new Salmon Creek location: 2313 NE 129th St., Vancouver, WA 98686. Questions about scheduling or an upcoming appointment at the Salmon Creek or Physician’s

Pavilion location? Please call 360.256.2640.

ONE OF THE HAP P I E S T T I ME S OF THE Y EAR MAY

also be the most dangerous for your heart. More people die from heart attacks around Christmas and New Year’s than at any other time, research shows.

Why are the holidays so hard on the heart? First, certain risk factors for heart attacks—such as skipping medications, additional stress and a lot of alcohol—are particularly common during the holidays, according to the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).

Second—and most important—many people who are having symptoms of a heart attack wait too long to call 911 because they don’t want to disrupt holiday gatherings or travel, ACEP reports.

“It’s crucial to seek immediate medical help for a heart attack, since minutes can mean the difference between life and death,” explains Margo Kozinski, MD, cardiologist at PeaceHealth Southwest’s Heart & Vascular Center. “Treatment can stop a heart attack, but it must be given quickly.” Heart attack symptoms can come on suddenly—or gradually. And they’re not always obvious, as often portrayed on TV. Call 911 right away if you notice signs like these in yourself or someone else:

Chest discomfort that lasts for more than a few minutes or comes and goes (might feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain)

Pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck, jaw, arms or back

Shortness of breath—with or without chest discomfort

Feeling light-headed or faint, having an upset stomach, or sweating

Look at it this way: If you think you’re having a heart attack, it’s better to play it safe and interrupt your holidays with a trip to the hospital than to risk missing next year’s celebration.

Additional sources: American Heart Association; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute