What are the signs and symptoms of a heart attack (myocardial infarction)?
Some heart attacks are sudden and intense where no one questions what’s happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often, people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can indicate a heart attack is happening: • Chest, abdominal, neck, back, arm, wrist or jaw discomfort (pain, squeezing, burning or pressure) with exertion or at rest • Excessive anxiety, sense of impending doom. • Pain or discomfort may begin in the central or left chest and then radiate to the arm, jaw, back or shoulder. • Pain or discomfort is usually not sharp or highly localized. • May be associated with shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, excessive sweating, loss of balance, nausea, vomiting or light-headedness. • Can develop in the abdominal region (often confused with indigestion or heartburn), arm, shoulder, wrist, jaw or back, without occurring in the chest, although this pattern is atypical. • Not affected by movi
