Heart Attack and Coronary Artery Disease
Chest pain is frightening — and knowing what to do can save a life. This page covers the warning signs of a heart attack and how the Saint Joseph Health System heart team treats coronary artery disease for patients across Mishawaka and South Bend. If you think you or someone near you is having a heart attack, call 911 now. For non-emergency care, schedule an appointment or call (855) 887-5633.
Schedule online
What is coronary artery disease?
Coronary artery disease (CAD) develops when fatty deposits called plaque slowly build up in the arteries that feed the heart, narrowing them over time. That narrowing can cause angina — chest pressure, tightness, or discomfort that shows up with exertion or stress and eases with rest. A heart attack happens when a blockage cuts off blood flow to part of the heart muscle. CAD develops over years, which means there is real opportunity to find it and treat it before it becomes an emergency.
Heart attack warning signs — call 911
Common signs include pressure, squeezing, or pain in the center of the chest lasting more than a few minutes (or going away and coming back); pain spreading to the shoulder, arm, neck, jaw, or back; shortness of breath; a cold sweat; nausea; or lightheadedness. Do not drive yourself — call 911. Emergency crews can begin treatment on the way, and the dispatcher will guide you on what to do while help is coming.
Heart attack signs can be different for women
Women are somewhat more likely to have symptoms beyond chest pain — unusual fatigue, shortness of breath, nausea, back or jaw pain, or a general feeling that something is wrong. Because these signs are easier to dismiss, women more often wait to get help. If symptoms feel new, severe, or unexplained, treat them as an emergency and call 911. Being wrong is fine; waiting is not.
How we treat heart attacks and CAD
When a heart attack patient arrives, our team follows a rapid-response protocol designed to restore blood flow as quickly as possible. [VERIFY protocol wording from existing activation-system page] Treatment may include emergency medications and procedures in our cardiac catheterization lab, where blocked arteries can be opened. [VERIFY PCI/stent scope on-site] For ongoing coronary artery disease, care usually combines medications, help with blood pressure and cholesterol, and heart-healthy changes to eating, activity, and smoking — and when blockages are severe, our heart surgeons perform bypass surgery. After a heart attack or procedure, our cardiac rehabilitation program helps you rebuild strength and confidence, step by step, with medical supervision. Existing patients can message the team anytime through MyChart.
Most often pressure or squeezing in the chest, sometimes spreading to the arm, jaw, or back — but it can also feel like severe indigestion, unusual fatigue, or breathlessness. When in doubt, call 911.
They can be. Women more often have fatigue, nausea, shortness of breath, or back and jaw pain instead of — or along with — chest pain.
Angina is temporary chest discomfort from narrowed arteries, usually with exertion, easing with rest. A heart attack is a blockage causing lasting pain and damage — it does not go away with rest and is an emergency.
Call 911 first. The dispatcher may tell you to chew an aspirin while help is on the way — follow their instructions.
Manage blood pressure and cholesterol, don't smoke, stay active, and see your provider for regular checkups. Our heart screening tests can assess your risk.