No Brain Injury for Billy Mays

It's good to hear that Billy Mays didn't have a head injury from his rough airplane landing. On the other hand, it sounds like he may have had a little discomfort on his way to bed.

The Associated Press reported that Mays told his wife he wasn't feeling well when he went to bed the night before he was found dead. Did he have chest pain? Maybe he had shortness of breath.

If Mays suffered sudden cardiac arrest in his sleep, it's very possible he was having a heart attack before he went to bed. He was a boisterous, type A kind of guy. He didn't strike me as the type to complain about a little pain in his chest.

Heart attacks are very private conditions. Often, there's only chest discomfort -- sometimes pain, sometimes not -- and maybe a little shortness of breath. The victim might break out in a cold sweat, but it's not required.

Surviving a heart attack is all about not ignoring the symptoms of a heart attack and seeking the right kind of medical care. Never take chest pain to your doctor's office, always go to the emergency department if you think you may be having a heart attack. Indeed, the best bet is to call 911.

• Heart Attack Symptoms
• Heart Attack Myths or Truths
• The Difference Between Cardiac Arrest and a Heart Attack
• Don't Take Chest Pain to the Doctor's Office