Heart Attack vs. Stroke: What's the Difference?

Two and a half weeks ago, AD experienced a stressful situation that caused him to lose sleep for two consecutive nights.

- Grace Carole Beltran, MD

Following this, he developed muscle weakness in his shoulder, which extended down to his left forearm. I advised him to consult his cardiologist, but unfortunately, he did not follow through. Instead, he took a pain reliever to ease the soreness in his left arm. This initially brought some relief, but after several days, the muscle weakness, fatigue, soreness, and achiness in his left arm returned.

At that time, he did not report any chest pain, chest heaviness, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, or nausea. However, about a week later, while at the mall, he experienced sudden paleness of his lips, chest heaviness, and shortness of breath. This time, the pain radiated from his jaw to his shoulder and extended down to his left forearm. Believing the pain might be due to a dental issue, he contacted his dentist, who prescribed another pain reliever. When that brought no relief, I strongly advised him to see his cardiologist Dr. James Ho and his nephrologist Dr. Agnes Mejia as soon as possible.

He was eventually taken to the ER by his househelp, where several laboratory tests were conducted. Doctors determined that he needed to be admitted for close observation and further testing, as he was experiencing a myocardial infarction (heart attack).

It's important to note that a myocardial infarction and a stroke, while both serious cardiovascular events, are not the same. A heart attack involves a blockage of blood flow to the heart muscle, whereas a stroke results from a blockage of blood flow to the brain. However, both conditions require immediate medical attention.