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THURSDAY, July 23, 2020 (HealthDay News)<\/p>\n
Fear of COVID-19<\/a> is keeping keep some people from getting medical help for critical conditions like stroke<\/a> and heart attack<\/a>, experts say.<\/p>\n In the first months of the pandemic, doctors at the Penn State Health Hershey Medical Center saw a 50% drop in the number of patients going to the emergency room for serious illnesses.<\/p>\n Although these numbers are starting to trend upward, patients need to understand that hospitals provide safe care and quick treatment is essential to prevent death and disability, doctors say.<\/p>\n “There is a lot of concern about COVID-19<\/a> — and you should be concerned as it is very serious — but you are 10 times more likely to die from an untreated heart<\/a> attack than you are from COVID-19<\/a>,” said Dr. Chad Zack, an interventional cardiologist at Penn State Heart<\/a> and Vascular Institute.<\/p>\n “Other things we worry about would be sudden cardiac arrest<\/a> at home, heart failure<\/a> symptoms in the short term and in the long term, and even delayed complications that can be associated with heart muscle rupture or acute onset valvular heart disease<\/a>,” Zack said in a center news release.<\/p>\n Classic symptoms of a heart attack<\/a> include chest pain<\/a>, chest tightness<\/a>, and aches in the chest or arms that radiate to the neck or jaw. Some people may experience nausea<\/a>, abdominal pain<\/a> or even shortness of breath<\/a>.<\/p>\n “If you experience any of these symptoms, especially if you have a history of cardiac disease, we urge you to call 911 and be seen promptly — especially if symptoms persist for more than 15 minutes,” Zack said.<\/p>\n With stroke<\/a>, fast medical care is also critical, said Dr. Ray Reichwein, a neurologist<\/a> and co-director of the Penn State Stroke<\/a> Center.<\/p>\n “A number of people who have milder symptoms may feel that they are going to ride it out at home. It turns out individuals who suffer a mini-stroke<\/a> or a mild stroke<\/a> have a much higher likelihood of having another stroke<\/a> over the next 90 days,” Reichwein said.<\/p>\n “I encourage everyone that it is critical, even with milder symptoms, to get checked out and determine why it happened and hopefully change the management, so they don’t end up with a subsequent, disabling stroke<\/a>,” he added.<\/p>\n Hospitals are working hard to protect patients and staff from the coronavirus. When patients arrive at most hospitals, they are screened for symptoms of COVID-19<\/a> and isolated if they have them. That means you’re unlikely to come in contact with someone who has the virus.<\/p>\n — Steven Reinberg<\/p>\n![\"MedicalNews\"](\"https:\/\/images.medicinenet.com\/images\/HealthDay\/healthday.png\")
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