How to Identify Heart Attack Symptoms

Chest pain is one of many possible symptoms of a heart attack. Knowing the other symptoms and what to do if they develop may save your life or the life of a loved one.

When the blood supply to the heart muscle is cut off or severely diminished, a heart attack happens. The incident may permanently harm heart tissue. It is imperative to act promptly in response to heart attack symptoms in order to reduce complications and long-term cardiac issues.

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The more symptoms of a heart attack you are aware of, both common and uncommon, the more prepared you will be to seek care for a potential major cardiac event in yourself or another person.

To find out more about heart attack symptoms, continue reading.

What are the symptoms of a heart attack?

Although various other symptoms may be present, most heart attacks cause chest pain or discomfort, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Trusted Source.

It is noteworthy to mention that some populations, such as ladies, older folks, and individuals with diabetes mellitus, often have nontypical or distinct heart attack symptoms. If any of these categories describes you, talk to your doctor about any symptoms that might be specific to you.

Common signs and symptoms

Even though chest pain or discomfort is common, not all chest pain is created equal. It typically affects the left side of the chest and can be felt as pressure, a squeezing sensation, or as a searing pain. Chest pain from a heart attack may worsen over time or it may come and go.

Other common indications of a heart attack include:

• cold sweat
• lightheadedness, weakness, or fainting
• breathlessness, which can occasionally come on before or coincide with chest pain
• upper body pain, such as pain in the back, shoulders, and arms as well as pain that travels up the neck to the jaw

You can experience pain in your right arm alone or in both arms, even though signs of a heart attack are more frequently linked to left arm pain. Similar to this, a heart attack may cause pain in one or both shoulders.

A hazy sensation of impending doom, either before or while other symptoms of a heart attack emerge, is another complaint made by some people.

In women Heart Attack Symptoms

Chest discomfort and other classic heart attack symptoms can occur in women with heart disease, though these symptoms are frequently less evident. According to the American Heart Association, women frequently experience subtler symptoms that might not always indicate a heart attack.

Some of these symptomsTrusted Source include:

• nausea and vomiting
• palpitations
• shortness of breath
• upper back or jaw pain

In older adults

A heart attack may be clearly indicated by an abrupt spike in chest pain. Nonetheless, other symptoms might be more perplexing for a lot of older folks.

For instance, elderly people who get tired when doing yard work or climbing stairs could consider shortness of breath to be an age-related complaint rather than a sign of a heart attack. Call 911 if, while you’re sleeping, you begin to have breathing difficulties.

In people with diabetes

Compared to people without diabetes, people with diabetes have a higher risk of developing heart disease and doing so at an earlier ageTrusted Source. This is due to the fact that diabetes’s elevated blood sugar can harm the heart’s nerves and blood arteries.

A heart attack or other more serious condition could be concealed by the development of what appears to be mild chest discomfort if you have diabetes that has damaged some of the nerves in your chest.

Atypical symptoms may include:

• breaking out in a cold sweat for no reason
• feeling particularly tired for no reason
• stomach upset
• shortness of breath even when you haven’t been active

If you’re already being treated for heart disease

In case you have been diagnosed with heart disease and are receiving treatment, your physician can inform you about potential heart attack symptoms to be mindful of, so you can be ready in case one happens.

Your heart attack symptoms could be worse than the ones that first prompted your doctor to diagnose you with heart disease. Such ailments include angina and dyspnea during physical effort.

How can you tell the difference between a heart attack and angina?

Angina is a type of chest pain that develops when the heart muscle does not receive enough blood flow in a consistent manner. There are two types of angina:

Stable angina:  This type is predictable and typically happens after physical activity, when the heart tries to pump blood quickly enough to meet the body’s needs.

Unstable angina: When the heart muscle tries to keep up with the body’s need for vigorous circulation following physical effort, this sort of heart attack is foreseeable.

It’s not always simple to distinguish between angina and a heart attack. You most likely have stable angina if, following exercise or other exertion, you experience a brief attack of chest pain that quickly goes away when you relax. However, if the pain persists, intensifies, or fluctuates, a heart attack may be the cause.

According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, angina episodes typically last a few minutes to half an hour, whereas heart attack symptoms sometimes persist for more than half an hour. Have someone drive you to the emergency department if you’re not sure.

How can you tell the difference between a heart attack and heartburn or indigestion?

Heartburn, sometimes referred to as acid reflux or acid indigestion, is a discomfort that can range from moderate to extremely excruciating in the middle of your chest. If the pain in your chest subsides when you take antacids or move from a flat to a sitting posture, the condition most likely is heartburn.

In addition, keep an eye out for any red flags related to previous heartburn episodes after ingesting particular foods or drinks if you start experiencing chest pain.

A sour taste in your mouth or mild regurgitation—the backflow of stomach contents into your mouth or throat—are common side effects of heartburn. Typically, it happens without the classic heart attack symptoms, such dizziness, breathlessness, or pain in other parts of the body.

conclusion : 

The main symptoms of a heart attack are:

• jaw, neck, or back discomfort
• weakness or lightheadedness
• chest discomfort
• arm or shoulder discomfort
• shortness of breath

Spend some time learning about these and other signs, particularly if you or a loved one is at a high risk of having a heart attack. This covers the elderly, individuals with a history of heart disease, and those with diabetes, high blood pressure, or high cholesterol.