Heart Attack: Warning Signs

Heart attacks are the most common cause of death in the US. Heart attacks happen when there is a sudden blockage of blood flow to part of the heart muscle.

Every minute of every day someone dies from a heart attack. Early treatment is crucial if you are having a heart attack. Quick treatment to break up blood clots can greatly improve your chance of surviving a heart attack. Since early treatment makes such a difference, it is important to know the early warning signs of a heart attack.

What are the signs of a heart attack?

Not everyone has the same symptoms. Signs of a heart attack may be one or more of the following:

• Chest discomfort that lasts for more than 5 minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or burning.
• Chest discomfort with feeling faint.
• Chest pain that goes beyond your chest to one or both arms, neck, jaw, shoulder, or stomach.
• Significant trouble breathing, with or without chest pain.
• Chest discomfort along with sweating, indigestion, vomiting, or feeling sick to your stomach.

Sometimes people who are having a heart attack delay getting care because they have different symptoms, like abdominal pain or unexplained tiredness. Because they may not have chest pain, someone who is having these symptoms may not think that they are having a heart attack. They may think they have indigestion and not get medical help as soon as they should.

What should I do in case of a heart attack?

If you or someone you know feels chest discomfort, especially with one or more of the other symptoms, get medical care right away. Do not wait longer than 5 minutes before calling 911. Calling 911 is usually the fastest way to get medical help in an emergency.

If you think someone is having a heart attack:

• Call for emergency help by dialing 911. Stay on the line. Do not take the person to a hospital in your own car.
• Be calm and take actions that make the person feel less excited.
• Have the person sit or lie down.
• Ask the person if they take any medicines for chest pain, such as nitroglycerin. If so, get it and follow the written instructions for its use.
• Ask if the person is allergic to aspirin. If they are not allergic, have them chew an aspirin as soon after calling 911 as possible.
• If the person is unresponsive, start CPR. Tell the 911 operator that the person is unresponsive. Keep giving CPR until help arrives.

For more information about giving CPR and other life-saving skills, contact your local chapter of the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross or visit their Web sites at http://www.americanheart.org and http://www.redcross.org.