DeBakey
Heart Institute
785-625-4699 or 888-625-4699
2nd Floor Bickle Family Tower
2220 Canterbury Drive
Hays, KS 67601 | Directions
HaysMed is the only accredited Chest Pain Center in Western Kansas providing superior emergency and cardiac care. To become an Accredited Chest Pain Center HaysMed was rigorously evaluated by the Society of Cardiovascular Patient Care (SCPC) looking at our ability to assess, diagnose and treat patients who could be experiencing a heart attack.
What does this mean to you as a patient?
*If you or a loved one experience chest pain or other early warning signs of heart attack, your best care is available with HaysMed
*We will work with the emergency team in beginning heart care treatment while you are still in route to the hospital
*We have spent hours in preparation making sure that we can save minutes and even seconds in the race to stop the damage caused by a heart attack and, in many cases, even reverse it
*A team of healthcare professionals is available around the clock to get you the care you need – NOW
*You can return to a full, active life in days instead of weeks or months
*You can rely on HaysMed for all your heart care needs
Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
Preventing Heart Attacks
What is a heart attack?
A heart attack occurs, in most cases, when a vessel supplying the heart muscle with blood and oxygen becomes completely blocked. The vessel has become narrowed by a slow buildup of fatty deposits, made mostly of cholesterol. When a clot occurs in this narrowed vessel, it completely blocks the supply of blood to the heart muscle. That part of the muscle will begin to die if the individual does not immediately seek medical attention.
Did you know?
Heart attacks have beginnings. These “beginnings” occur in over 50 percent of patients. More importantly, if recognized in time, these “beginnings” can be treated before the heart is damaged. 85 percent of heart damage occurs within the first two hours of a heart attack.
There are warning signs and risk factors associated with heart attacks in men and women. View the Early Heart Attack Care (EHAC) page (link below) to learn more and don’t hesitate to call 911 in the event you or someone you are with is experiencing symptoms.
Warning signs of a heart attack
Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States. Each year, approximately 1.2 million Americans suffer a heart attack, and nearly one-third of these individuals die, many before they reach the hospital. People often dismiss heart attack warning signs, such as chest pain, and think they merely have heartburn or a pulled muscle. The unfortunate conclusion is that many people wait too long before getting help. We want you to recognize the early symptoms of a heart attack
• Pressure, fullness, squeezing pain in the center of the chest, spreading to the neck, shoulder or jaw
• Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath
• Upper abdominal pressure or discomfort
• Lower chest discomfort
• Back pain
• Unusual fatigue
• Unusual shortness of breath
• Dizziness
• Nausea
Keep in mind that for women, the symptoms are just as dire, but often much more subtle (and easier to ignore):
• Chest discomfort – often described as pressure rather than acute pain in women
• Discomfort in other parts of the body – one or both arms, the back, jaw, or stomach
• Shortness of breath – with or without chest discomfort
• Cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness
These symptoms may come and go until finally becoming constant and severe. Treatments are most effective when they occur in the early stages of chest pain.
Do not drive to the hospital or let someone else drive you. Call an ambulance so that trained medical personnel can begin life-saving treatment on the way to the emergency room.