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Heart attacks have beginnings. These beginnings occur in more than 50% of patients. Most importantly, if recognized in time, these "beginnings" can be treated before the heart is damaged. Learn more about heart disease and the early signs below.
Call 911 if you experience heart attack warning signs. Calling 911 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment.
For many reasons, it’s best to call 911 so that an experienced EMS team can begin treatment and arrange rapid transport to the emergency room.
Heart disease causes approximately 1 of 4 deaths in the United States.
By sharing Early Heart Attack Education (EHAC), we can change these sobering statistics!
Early signs and symptoms that can begin hours or days before a heart attack. You may or may not experience any or all of these symptoms. You may experience mild chest symptoms, such as pressure, burning, aching or tightness. These symptoms may come and go until finally becoming constant and severe.
If you one or more of these symptoms, you owe it to yourself to get these symptoms checked out immediately at Sovah Health's emergency departments in Danville or Martinsville.
Remember: Call 9-1-1 if you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency.
Calling 9-1-1 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. EMS staff are trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. It is best to call EMS for rapid transport to the emergency room.
Our Danville and Martinsville campuses have both received Chest Pain Center accreditation from the American College of Cardiology. We are dedicated to providing our patients with the best heart care treatment available. As an accredited facility, we use the newest methods and best practices in heart care to ensure that our patients receive:
The American College of Cardiology has recognized Sovah Health for its demonstrated expertise and commitment in treating patients who come to a cardiac cath lab for care, including diagnostic catheterizations and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) procedures. PCI is also known as coronary angioplasty. It is a non-surgical procedure that opens narrowed or blocked coronary arteries with a balloon to relieve symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack.
Hospitals that have proven exceptional competency in treating patients who require cardiac catheterization have standardized their assessment process for patients before undergoing catheterization to ensure quality and patient safety. They ensure that care in the procedure room for sedation, infection control, radiation safety, universal protocol, and time out procedures is fully coordinated. They have mastered the appropriate transfer to a cath recovery unit to better monitor and track complications, enhance physician-to-patient communication, patient family communication, discharge instructions and follow-up information.
If you or someone you care for has been diagnosed with heart failure, we can provide the tools to improve quality of life. Sovah Health has earned Advanced Heart Failure Accreditation from the American College of Cardiology. We were awarded the accreditation based on rigorous onsite review of the staff's ability to evaluate, diagnose and treat patients with heart failure through pre-hospital care, early stabilization, acute care, transitional care, clinical quality measures and more.
Want to schedule an appointment with one of our providers? Call 844-467-6824 or visit SovahHealth.com/find-a-doctor.