Heart attacks are life-threatening medical conditions that require emergency medical care. However, it can be hard to detect them and to know when to get help, since people can have different symptoms before or during a heart attack. Those who have any of the following symptoms, especially if they have more than one together, will want to get medical care right away.
Sudden or Unexplained Jaw Pain
There is a connection between jaw pain and heart attack signs. If the jaw pain occurs suddenly and is otherwise unexplained, it could be a sign that a heart attack is occurring. In most cases, the pain may feel dull or achy, not sharp, and can feel like it’s starting in the chest and moving to the jaw.
Chest Pain or Radiating Pain
The most common symptom of a heart attack is chest pain, especially if the pain radiates to one arm. It is most common for heart attack pain to be felt in the left arm, but it can occur in the right arm, too. This is the symptom most people associate with having a heart attack, but it does not always occur, and there may be other signs, too.
Pain Away from the Chest
Not everyone who has a heart attack feels pain coming from the chest. It’s especially common in women to feel the pain in the back, neck, or upper stomach instead of the chest. If there are no other potential causes for the pain, it could be a sign of a heart attack.
Shortness of Breath Without a Clear Cause
Shortness of breath can have many different causes, with a heart attack being just one. If there is no clear cause for the shortness of breath, it may be a sign of a heart attack. This may be true whether or not it is accompanied by chest pain.
Feeling Lightheaded or Dizzy
Many people report feeling lightheaded or dizzy when they have a heart attack. While the heart attack is occurring, the heart isn’t able to properly pump blood throughout the body, which results in the person feeling dizzy and needing to sit down.
Overwhelming Tiredness
In the days before a heart attack occurs, it’s possible to feel overwhelmingly tired. Those who have noticed this before having a heart attack have described it as feeling extreme fatigue, especially in the few hours before the heart attack occurred. This can be a sign of an impending heart attack if there are no other clear causes.
A Sense of Impending Doom
Many people who have a heart attack report a sense of impending doom right before it happens. Others also report feeling anxiety before it occurs. Someone who has this feeling, especially when it’s followed by any of the other symptoms mentioned here, may be having a heart attack.
Heart attacks aren’t always easy to detect, and the signs can vary significantly, so it is important to know what they are and how to tell if someone may be having a heart attack. Immediate medical attention may be able to save the person’s life, especially in the case of a more severe heart attack. If you’ve had any of these symptoms, it’s important to get emergency medical care right away, as a heart attack could be the reason.
I’m Leo Knox, the wordplay wizard behind WordsTwists.com where I turn everyday meanings into funny, clever, and creative twists. If you’re tired of saying things the boring way, I’ve got a better (and funnier) one for you!
