Morbid question: What does a heart attack feel like?

Answer 1

The classic description is a heavy or pressure-like pain in the mid-chest that doesn't change with respiration. It may radiate into the ulnar side of the left arm or the jaw. Shortness of breath, nausea and perhaps palpitations may accompany.
That's the textbook description. Unfortunately, several other things feel the same way, and only a minority of heart attacks feel the way that's described in the texts. As a matter of fact, women especially are at some risk for having their heart attacks misdiagnosed because they can have symptoms as vague and limited as a sense of fatigue. One of the peculiar statistics about heart attacks is that about 2% of people having heart attacks used to be sent home after having an abnormal description of their symptoms, a normal EKG, normal chest x-ray, and normal blood tests. Now there are much more sophisticated tests, and the heart attacks inadvertently sent home have dropped to (drum roll, please) 2%; that's right, no change. And of the patients hospitalized for a possible heart attack, only a small minority wind up having heart disease. If there were anything consistent about it, those statistics would be vastly different, of course, but nobody ever said life was simple, huh?

Answer 2

Typical symptoms include pain or tightening in the chest. That pain lasts for more than 10 minutes. The pain is sometimes felt in the back, arm or jaw. The patient also feels short of breath and occasionally experiences a feeling of impending doom. Nausea is usually present.

It is usually more intense than it sounds, but not all the time.

Some heart attacks are silent, without symptoms.

Everyone's heart attack is different, of course. But if chest pain is present for more than 10 minutes, it's a good idea to call your local emergency number. Time is tissue, and the longer you wait before you get to a doctor, the more damage to your heart.

Answer 3

The other posters are correct about the heavy chest pain. This depends on the person and the sex of the person. It is known that some people simply have the sensation of heart burn, some people simply left arm or jaw pain and then keel over and RIP. Women experience a heart attack differently then men they may get nauseous or something that seems simple and then RIP. It really depends on the person.

Answer 4

All my life, one key thing about heart attacks that has been emphasized to me, which doesn't seem to have been really emphasized much here, is the arm pain. People have always told me, chest pain/squeezing by itself is usually just indigestion. Chest pain/squeezing with pain or tingling down your left arm, you're about to have a heart attack.

I'm not sure if it's a guaranteed thing every single time, or just a more common than not factor, but as somebody who experiences a lot of generalized pain, including chest pain, almost all of the time, I have kept that bit of information in my mind. If my left arm ever hurts or tingles when I experience a squeezing in my chest, I'm calling an ambulance!

Answer 5

I've never had one, but symptoms can be a pain down the left arm, heartburn and my grandfather had one on the toilet. He felt as if he needed to poop. I am NOT being funy. That is true. he really dies on the toilet and the paramedics said that is a common symptom.

Answer 6

very painful, like very tight chest, shortness of breath sweating like your chest is in a vise and someone keeps squeezing, some people have vaque symptoms--nausea, arm neck pain shortness of breath like ran a marathon other people have classic symptoms--tight chest left arm pain sweating flushing of face upper body

Answer 7

imagine dying for about 3 minutes, thats what it feels like that and getting hit by a sledgehammer.

Answer 8

Pressure, and than heavy pain in chest.

Answer 9

i heard that it feels like an elephant standing on your chest...i really never want to find out, i have quit smoking for this reason.

Answer 10

i dont know i'll tell u when i get 1