A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is blocked. The blockage is most often a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances, which form a plaque in the arteries that feed the heart (coronary arteries).
The plaque eventually breaks away and forms a clot. The interrupted blood flow can damage or destroy part of the heart muscle.
There are clear symptoms of a heart attack that require immediate medical attention.
A feeling of pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing, or aching in the chest or arms that spreads to the neck, jaw, or back can be a sign that a person is having a heart attack.
The following are other possible signs and symptoms of a heart attack occurring:
coughing nausea vomiting crushing chest pain dizziness shortness of breath called dyspnea face seeming gray in color a feeling of terror that life is ending feeling awful, generally restlessness feeling clammy and sweaty shortness of breath
Changing position does not alleviate the pain of a heart attack. The pain a person feels is normally constant, although it may sometimes come and go.
As heart attacks can be fatal, it is vital to recognize the warning signs that an attack is occurring.
While the symptoms listed above are all linked to heart attacks, there are four warning signs listed by the American Heart Association (AHA) as being crucial signs of an attack. These include:
discomfort, pressure, squeezing, or fullness in the chest that lasts several minutes or resolves then returns pain or discomfort in the arms, neck, back, stomach, or jaw sudden shortness of breath
Other signs can include a cold sweat, a sick or nauseous feeling, or being lightheaded.