Stroke vs. Heart Attack Warning Signs: Understanding the Difference

It is one of the most terrible feelings imaginable: being in the presence of someone who is experiencing severe discomfort or pain, where the risk of a heart attack or stroke is possible.

Regardless of if you have the proper CPR training, you can still identify and diagnose warning signs; distinguishing symptoms of an imminent stroke versus a heart attack can prove invaluable to emergency care once it arrives.

A major heart attack warning sign is severe discomfort in the center of the chest. The pain may last a few minutes or recur in shorter periods. Other symptoms include discomfort in other areas of the body, shortness of breath, breaking out in a cold sweat, lightheadedness, and nausea.

Stroke warning signs, meanwhile, are less pain-oriented; rather they entail numbness or weakness in limbs, as well as mental disorientation, blurred vision, or severe headaches.

If any of these warning signs occur, contact 911 immediately.