There is so much to be understood by the common person about the types of heart attacks and the various symptoms that are detected. But this is one of those occasions when ignorance is NOT bliss. And you would think that as we further educate ourselves, and as we become increasingly aware of our own health, that we would be more vigilant in getting treatment for something that we cannot understand or diagnose ourselves.
But in a report by Jennifer Warner of WebMD we learn that statistics show that from the years 2001 to 2006 the time between when a patient observes symptoms and when that person seeks medical attention averages two hours. TWO HOURS! 60% of these patients reported waiting more than two hours to seek treatment, and even more alarming 11% of these waited as much as 12 hours after experiencing symptoms.
The ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the most dangerous type of heart attack occurs when one of the hearts arteries has a sudden and complete blockage. But whether the heart attack is discovered to be a STEMI or non-STEMI immediate attention will lessen the damage done to the body.
