Know the symptoms of a heart attack so you can call for emergency assistance.
Heart attack symptoms vary widely. The symptoms you experience may be different from those experienced by a relative or neighbor. For instance, you may have only minor chest pain while someone else has excruciating pain. In addition, women often have different heart attack symptoms than do men.
One thing applies to everyone, though: If you suspect you're having a heart attack, call for emergency medical help immediately. Don't waste time trying to diagnose the symptoms yourself.
Typical heart attack symptoms
| Symptom | Description |
| Chest discomfort or pain | This discomfort or pain can feel like a tight ache, pressure, fullness or squeezing in the center of your chest lasting more than a few minutes. This discomfort may come and go. |
| Upper body pain | Pain or discomfort may spread beyond your chest to your shoulders, arms, back, neck, teeth or jaw. You may have upper body pain with no chest discomfort. |
| Stomach pain | Pain may extend downward into your abdominal area and may feel like heartburn. |
| Shortness of breath | You may pant for breath or try to take in deep breaths. This often occurs before you develop chest discomfort. |
| Anxiety | You may feel a sense of doom or feel as if you're having a panic attack for no apparent reason. |
| Lightheadedness | You may feel dizzy or feel like you might pass out. |
| Sweating | You may suddenly break into a sweat with cold, clammy skin. |
| Nausea and vomiting | You may feel sick to your stomach or vomit. |
Example of a 1,200-calorie menu
| Breakfast |
| 1 medium banana |
| 1 cup bran cereal |
| 1 cup fat-free milk |
| Herbal tea |
| Lunch |
| Tuna salad sandwich made with 1/2 cup water-packed tuna, 1 tablespoon low-calorie mayonnaise, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, chopped celery as desired, leaf lettuce and 2 slices whole-grain toast |
| 2 cups raw baby carrots, jicama and bell pepper strips |
| 1 small apple |
| Water |
| Dinner |
| 3 ounces broiled cod sprinkled with juice of 1 lemon wedge and 1 teaspoon drained and rinsed capers |
| 3/4 cup steamed green beans |
| 1/2 cup sliced beets |
| Salad made with 1 cup bibb, Boston, butterhead or leaf lettuce, 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, a splash of balsamic vinegar and 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil |
| 1 nectarine |
| Sparkling water with lemon |
| Snack (anytime) |
| 1 small pear |
| Nutrient Analysis |
| Calories | 1,191 | Cholesterol | 92 mg |
| Protein | 85 g | Sodium | 1,263 mg |
| Carbohydrate | 196 g | Fiber | 36 g |
| Total fat | 15 g | Potassium | 2,967 mg |
| Saturated fat | 4 g | Calcium | 385 mg |
| Monounsaturated fat | 6 g | | |
| Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid servings |
| Vegetables | 5 |
| Fruits | 3 |
| Carbohydrates | 4 |
| Protein and dairy | 3 |
| Fats | 3 |
Food pyramid differences
Although food pyramids reflect the same general principles of healthy eating, they demonstrate different food choices. These differences reflect dietary preferences, food availability and cultural eating patterns. For example, the Latin American Diet Pyramid might include tortillas and cornmeal within the grains food group, whereas the Asian Diet Pyramid might emphasize noodles and rice.
Other differences include:
- Food groups. The food groups among food pyramids may vary somewhat. For example, some might group plant-based proteins — soybeans, beans and nuts — separately from animal proteins found in meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products. This is because animal proteins are often higher in fat and cholesterol, and some diets limit or avoid animal proteins.
- Serving recommendations. How food pyramids address servings also varies. The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid, for example, recommends a daily number of servings from each food group. And it specifically defines serving sizes; for example, a serving of cooked brown rice is 1/3 cup and a serving of milk is 1 cup. But other plans offer more general guidelines, such as eating particular foods at every meal, or on a weekly or monthly basis. For example, the Latin American Diet Pyramid recommends that you eat whole grains, vegetables and fruits at every meal but eat red meat, sweets and eggs once a week or less.
The food pyramid plan
Guidelines for choosing foods are widely represented in various food pyramids. The triangular shape of the pyramid shows you where to focus when selecting foods. Foods to eat the most of create the base of the pyramid, and foods to eat in smaller amounts or less frequently are shown farther up the pyramid.
A food pyramid familiar to many Americans is MyPyramid (formerly known as the Food Guide Pyramid), established by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Health and Human Services. Many other pyramids exist, however. These include the Asian, Latin American, Mediterranean and Vegetarian diet pyramids developed by Oldways Preservation Trust, and the Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid, just to name a few.
Food pyramid differences
Although food pyramids reflect the same general principles of healthy eating, they demonstrate different food choices. These differences reflect dietary preferences, food availability and cultural eating patterns. For example, the Latin American Diet Pyramid might include tortillas and cornmeal within the grains food group, whereas the Asian Diet Pyramid might emphasize noodles and rice.
Other differences include:
- Food groups. The food groups among food pyramids may vary somewhat. For example, some might group plant-based proteins — soybeans, beans and nuts — separately from animal proteins found in meat, poultry, eggs and dairy products. This is because animal proteins are often higher in fat and cholesterol, and some diets limit or avoid animal proteins.
- Serving recommendations. How food pyramids address servings also varies. The Mayo Clinic Healthy Weight Pyramid, for example, recommends a daily number of servings from each food group. And it specifically defines serving sizes; for example, a serving of cooked brown rice is 1/3 cup and a serving of milk is 1 cup. But other plans offer more general guidelines, such as eating particular foods at every meal, or on a weekly or monthly basis. For example, the Latin American Diet Pyramid recommends that you eat whole grains, vegetables and fruits at every meal but eat red meat, sweets and eggs once a week or less.
Last Updated: 07/27/2007
