A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart muscle is suddenly interrupted. Often, the body gives some clear signs minutes or hours before a heart attack fully affects you. If you recognize these in time, you can save a life. Here are the main symptoms and causes:
Severe pain or discomfort in the center of the chest: This is the most important sign of a heart attack. You may feel like a heavy weight is being placed on your chest or it is being squeezed (crushing pain). This severe pain is caused by the damage to the heart muscle when oxygen-rich blood does not reach the heart.
Pain spreading to other parts of the body: This pain, which starts in the heart, can slowly spread to other parts of the body. Especially pain or numbness spreading to the left arm, neck, jaw, back, or upper abdomen is a clear sign of a heart attack.
Sudden excessive sweating without any reason: Sudden onset of cold sweat without severe heat or exertion is a major danger sign. When the heart is not working properly, the body has to work harder to pump blood. The nervous system is overstimulated to regulate body temperature at this time, which is the reason for sudden sweating.
Shortness of breath and severe shortness of breath: You may experience severe shortness of breath with or without chest pain. When the heart is unable to pump blood properly, pressure increases in the lungs and the body does not get enough oxygen. This can make it difficult to breathe.
Dizziness, nausea, and extreme fatigue: Symptoms include sudden dizziness, feeling faint, and stomach discomfort, along with nausea and vomiting. Dizziness is caused by a sudden decrease in blood flow to the brain when the heart’s pumping decreases. These symptoms are more common in women than in women.