1. A Heart Attack Stops the Heart From Beating
Myth
It's certainly possible to die from a heart attack, but it's not required.
Heart attacks happen when blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked by plaque and blood clots. The heart muscle begins to die and may cause pain in the chest.
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops pumping blood. A cardiac arrest victim will not be breathing or have a pulse.
Heart attacks lead to cardiac arrest. If you do manage to get to cardiac arrest, the chance of surviving outside of a hospital is extremely low. Don't wait to get help for a heart attack.
2. Stroke is Another Name for Heart Attack
Myth
Heart attacks are caused by decreased blood flow to the heart muscle, often from blood clots. Strokes are caused by decreased blood flow to the brain, also often from blood clots. The two conditions look very different.
Heart attacks commonly cause chest pain and shortness of breath. Strokes often lead to weakness on one side of the body, difficulty speaking, confusion, and unconsciousness.
3. Call 911 for Chest Pain
Truth
If you have chest pain, call 911. Many people who rightly believe that emergency services are for emergencies wrongly believe that chest pain is not an emergency. Your doctor, however, probably doesn't have the tools you need if, in fact, you are having a heart attack.
Ambulances and hospitals work closely together to quickly identify and treat heart-related emergencies. Personal physicians are not included in the planning process and may slow the response. In cardiac emergencies, time is muscle and the more heart muscle you lose the more chance you have of cardiac arrest (see above).
4. No Chest Pain Means It's Not a Heart Attack
Myth
While it is true that heart attacks often cause pain in the chest, it is not necessary. The classic symptoms of a heart attack include a heavy feeling in the chest that may be painful. The heaviness or pain may spread to the left arm, neck, or jaw. Patients often complain of shortness of breath. Another common complaint is burning in the chest mistaken as heartburn.
Indeed, it's common for heart attack victims to simply feel a foreboding of doom, which is one time you should really follow your heart.
5. Heart Attacks Feel Different to Women than Men
Truth
Much has been published about the differences between men and women when it comes to heart attacks.
It's more common for women having heart attacks to deny feeling chest pain in the emergency department than it is for men.
