Smoking Cessation Education

Why is this important?

Smoking increases the risk for developing blood clots and heart disease that can result in a heart attack, heart failure or stroke. Smoking causes the arteries to thicken and the blood vessels to narrow. Fat and plaque stick to the walls of the arteries, which makes it harder for blood to flow. Reduced blood flow to the heart may result in chest pain, high blood pressure and an increased heart rate. Smoking is also linked to lung disease and cancer, and can cause premature death. It is important to get information to help you quit smoking before you leave the hospital. Quitting may help prevent another heart attack.

Higher percentages are better.

Information About Heart Attack Care

A heart attack (also called acute myocardial infarction) occurs when the arteries leading to the heart become blocked and the blood supply is slowed or stopped. When the heart muscle can’t get the oxygen and nutrients it needs, the part of the heart tissue that is affected may die.

The symptoms of a heart attack can include:

• Chest pain (often described as a crushing, squeezing or burning pain in the center of the chest that may radiate to the arm or jaw)
• Shortness of breath
• Dizziness or extreme weakness
• Sweating
• Nausea
• Cold or clammy skin
• Gray skin tone or ill appearance

Sometimes there may be no symptoms of a heart attack, especially if you have diabetes. While men typically experience chest pain, women sometimes experience different symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

This data, based primarily on data collected by Baxter Regional Medical Center hospital from April 2007 through March 2008, was released publicly on December 18, 2008.