Heart Attack Symptoms & Warning Signs

Published: February 5, 2012

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If you are having a heart attack, you may feel pain in your chest. This pain might be sharp, or it might be a feeling of crushing pressure. You might only feel the pain in one part of the body, such as your arms, shoulders, jaw, stomach, back, or neck. Most commonly, people report a dull ache in the left arm that becomes stronger and radiates to the chest.

Pain related to a heart attack can range from dull to strong or from mild to severe. You might feel like you have an upset stomach, or you might experience excruciating pain. The pain might be constant, or it may disappear and then return with a similar or different feeling. The pain will persist for more than 20 minutes, and you will find that rest and painkillers may not help.

Many women feel accompanying nervousness and anxiety, symptoms that frequently go ignored. Some people start coughing, and others experience nausea or vomiting. Other symptoms that are common include fainting spells, dizziness, unusually rapid heartbeat, uncontrollable sweating, and difficulty breathing.

Some people might not experience any symptoms at all. People who commonly have heart attacks without symptoms include women, elderly people, and diabetes patients.

Warning Signs

Any heart attack symptom is a warning sign, even if you do not experience chest pain. Symptoms need to be treated immediately using oxygen, aspirin, and nitroglycerin. Without prompt treatment, permanent damage to the heart and brain can result. Such a shock to the body is difficult to sustain, and a heart attack is a medical emergency that should absolutely never be ignored.

If you feel dizzy, stressed, light headed, and nauseous, you may be experiencing a heart attack without traditional symptoms of pain. You should still consider a silent heart attack a medical emergency since permanent damage is a possible result.

Many people experience extreme exhaustion and insomnia for a period of one month before a heart attack. If you experience these symptoms, focus on whether additional symptoms such as restlessness, anxiety, or dizziness develop. Keep in mind that a doctor might have trouble diagnosing a silent heart attack and that you will need to communicate any possible factors including medical history, family history, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. Silent heart attack patients need follow up tests to confirm whether the heart attack was real.

People who have recurring heart attacks should consider seeing a cardiologist or specialist. Your condition might be very serious, and you might need heart surgery to prevent future attacks.

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