Four Signs That Tell Your Chest Pain May Already Be A Heart Attack

The sudden loss of blood flow to an area of the heart muscle can lead to a heart attack. The blood flow loss is oftentimes attributed to the clogging up by harmful substances of the coronary arteries. These arteries transport blood to important organs and other parts of your body.

With inadequate oxygen and blood, heart muscles can sustain serious damage, and the promptness of your response may determine the extent of the damage. It is therefore vital you act on the warning signs when they occur.

A Telltale Warning Sign

One of the biggest problems with people suffering from heart attacks is they tend to dismiss the warning signs and often attribute it to some less serious conditions. Chest pain, for instance, has been attributed by many to a broad range of causes like indigestion or heartburn. Then again, it is also a major sign of a heart attack, so any type of chest pain must be taken seriously.

When A Chest Pain Is Serious

The British Heart Foundation said that chest pain might be serious and a sign of a heart attack if it is sudden and the pain spreads to the back, jaw, neck, or arms. The feeling of having a heavy or tight chest is also an indication. When these feelings of discomfort last for more than fifteen minutes, it may be prudent to immediately call 999. The intensity of chest pain may vary.

The health organization explained that for some people, the tightness or pain that they feel on their chests might already be severe, yet some may just feel uncomfortable. In some instances, others would dismiss the pain as a mere annoyance caused by indigestion.

If you, however, experience inexplicable chest pain oftentimes, you should schedule an appointment with your doctor as you may have a heart condition. Then the chest pain you feel is accompanied by breathlessness or nausea; it may be a strong indication of a heart attack.

Responding to a Heart Attack

The British Heart Foundation recommends immediately dialing 999 and asking for an ambulance if you believe you have a heart attack. Try not to worry if you are not one hundred percent sure whether the symptoms you feel are being caused by a heart attack. The important thing is you immediately seek medical attention as this increases your chance for survival in case it is really a heart attack.