Signs of heart attack range from the most peculiar signs of feeling like an elephant sitting on your chest along with sweating, accompanied by pain in the arm and jaw to less classical signs such as back pain, neck pain, nausea, shortness of breath, palpitations, indigestion, dizziness, and passing out.

If there are any of these symptoms that persist, remember every second count and hence it is of utmost importance to obtain immediate medical help.

This piece discusses the signs of a heart attack in more depth from the typical to the atypical in an aim to educate readers about signs of a heart attack.

What To Do If Experiencing Signs of a Heart Attack?

If you are experiencing signs of an attack – each second counts as there is a chance of increasing and often irreversible heart damage that can be caused due to the delay in treatment.

Below are the symptoms that have been discussed in much detail –

Chest Pain that radiates to the neck and left arm –
A classic sign of heart attack is chest pain. This pain could be felt in the area behind the breastbone and can be felt with a pressure-like sensation. The pain may radiate to the neck, jaw and the left arm. If the symptoms last more than a few minutes, immediate medical help should be sought.

Sweating

A well-known sign of heart attack is diaphoresis (Sweating). During a heart attack, a person sweats due to the activation of a defense mechanism known as the sympathetic nervous system. The sweating may occur with or without chest pain and may occur with other pain symptoms such as pain in the arms, jaws, palpitations, shortness of breath, etc.

Shortness of Breath
Adding to the symptoms mentioned above, shortness of breath is also associated with the signs of a heart attack. Breathing and the heart pumping blood effectively is closely related. In the case of a heart attack, if your heart can’t pump blood well enough you will feel short of breath.

New Palpitations

Although palpitations on their own are not likely associated with a heart attack, heart palpitations due to heart attack can create a sense of uneasiness or anxiety. These palpitations are described as a sensation of their heart pounding in their neck, not just their chest.

If you think you are experiencing symptoms of a heart attack, call emergency services immediately. It’s unsafe to drive yourself to the hospital, while you may feel awake and alert enough to drive, the chest pain could get severe and cause further damage.

Our cardiology department is well equipped to handle emergencies and other related medical conditions.