Heart attack and stroke: what to do and where to go

Heart attack and stroke are the two emergencies where every minute changes the outcome. The treatments that open a blocked artery work best when they start early, and they need a hospital team that is ready. This page covers the signs, what to do in the first minutes and how hospitals near you are set up to help.

The short version

• Call 911. Do not drive yourself and do not wait to see if it goes away.
• Note the time symptoms started. For a stroke, that time decides which treatments you can get.
• If someone collapses and is not breathing normally, start Hands-Only CPR: push hard and fast in the center of the chest. Use an AED if one is nearby.
• Let the paramedics choose the hospital. They know which ones are ready for stroke and heart attacks.

Signs of a heart attack

• Chest pain, pressure, squeezing or fullness that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath, with or without chest pain.
• A cold sweat, nausea or feeling light-headed.

Women, older adults and people with diabetes are more likely to have the less common signs: shortness of breath, nausea, back or jaw pain, or unusual tiredness. These count. Call 911.

Signs of a stroke: BE FAST

• B — Balance: sudden loss of balance or dizziness.
• E — Eyes: sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
• F — Face: one side of the face droops. Ask the person to smile.
• A — Arm: one arm drifts down. Ask them to raise both arms.
• S — Speech: slurred or strange speech. Ask them to repeat a simple sentence.
• T — Time: call 911 now and note the time.

A stroke can also cause a sudden, very bad headache with no known cause. Even if the signs go away in a few minutes, call 911. A short episode can be a warning of a bigger stroke soon.

What to do while you wait

• Stay with the person. Keep them calm and sitting or lying down.
• For a heart attack, the 911 operator may tell the person to chew a regular aspirin. Follow the operator's advice. Do not give aspirin for a stroke unless told to; some strokes are caused by bleeding.
• Unlock the door and turn on a porch light if it is dark.
• Gather the medicine list or bottles.
• If the person stops responding and is not breathing normally, start Hands-Only CPR right away.

Why the hospital matters

Not every hospital treats stroke and heart attack the same way, and that is why the ambulance is the best ride.

For stroke, Texas checks and designates hospitals by level through the Department of State Health Services. From the most capable to the most basic, the levels are Comprehensive (Level I), Advanced (Level II), Primary (Level III) and Acute Stroke Ready (Level IV). Level I and Level II centers are set up to remove a clot from a large brain artery with a thin tube. Every level can give clot-busting medicine.

For heart attacks, Texas does not have a state designation. Some hospitals hold a national accreditation from the American College of Cardiology as a Chest Pain Center. Some have a cardiac catheterization lab that is open around the clock to open a blocked artery with a balloon and stent. Paramedics often send an ECG ahead so that team is called in before you arrive.

Freestanding ERs are licensed emergency rooms, but most do not have a cath lab or a stroke team. If you have stroke or heart attack signs, call 911 rather than driving to the closest building.

Hospitals near you

Designated hospitals nearest Baytown (straight-line miles from the center of town):

• Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital, 2.3 mi. Stroke: Primary (Level III).
• HCA Houston Healthcare Southeast, 13.3 mi. Stroke: Primary (Level III); trauma Level III; heart: ACC Chest Pain Center with PCI.
• University of Texas Medical Branch - Clear Lake Campus, 15.9 mi. Stroke: Comprehensive (Level I); trauma Level II; heart: ACC Chest Pain Center with PCI.
• HCA Houston Healthcare Clear Lake, 16.2 mi. Stroke: Comprehensive (Level I); trauma Level II; heart: ACC Chest Pain Center with PCI.
• Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital, 17.3 mi. Stroke: Primary (Level III); trauma Level III; heart: ACC Chest Pain Center with PCI.
• St. Joseph Medical Center, 23.3 mi. Stroke: Primary (Level III); heart: ACC Chest Pain Center with PCI.
• HCA Houston Healthcare Mainland, 23.5 mi. Stroke: Primary (Level III); trauma Level IV; heart: ACC Chest Pain Center with PCI.
• Harris Health Ben Taub Hospital, 25.1 mi. Stroke: Comprehensive (Level I); trauma Level I; heart: ACC Chest Pain Center with PCI.

Stroke and trauma levels: Texas DSHS, as of 2026-10-01. Heart: ACC Chest Pain Center accreditation, or what the hospital states; Texas has no state heart-attack designation.

After the emergency

Recovery is a big part of the story. Ask the care team about cardiac rehab or stroke rehab before you leave the hospital; both lower the chance of another event. Bring every medicine to your first follow-up visit and ask what each one is for.

Lower your risk

• Know your numbers: blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol. See our Know your numbers page.
• Do not smoke or vape. Free quitting help is available through the Texas Tobacco Quitline at yesquit.org.
• Move most days. Even a brisk 30-minute walk counts.
• Learn Hands-Only CPR. It takes about a minute to learn and can double or triple a person's chance of survival.

Sources

• American Heart Association: Warning signs of a heart attack; Hands-Only CPR.
• American Stroke Association: Stroke warning signs.
• CDC: Stroke signs and symptoms; heart attack symptoms.
• NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke: Stroke.
• Texas Department of State Health Services: stroke system development and designated facility list.
• HHS Office on Women's Health: What to do if you think you're having a heart attack.
• NIH NHLBI: Heart attack recovery and cardiac rehabilitation.
• American College of Cardiology: Chest Pain Center accreditation.

Reviewed by a board-certified physician. This page is general information, not medical advice. In an emergency, call 911.

MedlinePlus (NIH)