Call 911 immediately if you suspect you or someone you are with is having a heart attack. Do not drive yourself or someone else to he hospital. Call 911.
The most common symptoms of a heart attack:
The occurrence of any of these symptoms WITHOUT exertion
- Pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck, jaw, arms or back
- Chest discomfort associated with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath
- Profound fatigue, which may last several days before the heart attack
- Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back
The less common symptoms of a heart attack:
There are less common warning signs of a heart attack that should also be taken seriously, especially if they accompany any symptoms from the most common symptoms list. The important feature is that these symptoms are new, possibly subtle and unexplained. These less common symptoms include:
- Stomach or abdominal pain
- Nausea or dizziness
- Shortness of breath
- Unexplained anxiety, weakness or fatigue
- Palpitations, cold sweat or paleness
Whoever your heart beats for, our hearts beat for you. Connect with a top cardiovascular specialist at RWJBarnabas Health by calling 1-888-724-7123 or view Heart and Vascular Care.