Experiences with
Heart attackSymptoms of a heart attack
Symptoms of a heart attack can include:
- chest pain – a feeling of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across your chest
- pain in other parts of the body – it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and tummy
- feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- sweating
- shortness of breath
- feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
- an overwhelming feeling of anxiety (similar to a panic attack)
- coughing or wheezing
The chest pain is often severe, but some people may only experience minor pain, similar to indigestion.
While the most common symptom is chest pain, symptoms can vary from person to person. Some people may have other symptoms such as shortness of breath, feeling or being sick and back or jaw pain without any chest pain.
Call 999 immediately if you think someone might be having a heart attack. The faster you act, the better their chances.
Treating heart attacks
While waiting for an ambulance, it may help to chew and then swallow a tablet of aspirin (ideally 300mg), as long as the person having a heart attack is not allergic to aspirin.
Aspirin helps to thin the blood and improves blood flow to the heart.
In hospital, treatment for a heart attack depends on the type of heart attack, and how serious it is.
The 2 main treatments are:
- using medicines to dissolve blood clots
- surgery to help restore blood to the heart
Causes of a heart attack
Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of heart attacks.
CHD is a condition in which the major blood vessels (coronary arteries) that supply the heart muscle become clogged by a build-up of deposits of fatty substances, known as plaques.
Before a heart attack, 1 of the plaques bursts (ruptures), causing a blood clot to develop at the site of the rupture.
The clot may block the supply of blood to the heart, triggering a heart attack.
Preventing a heart attack
There are some steps you can take to reduce your risk of having a heart attack (or having another heart attack):
- smokers should quit smoking
- lose weight if you're overweight or obese
- do regular exercise – adults should do at least 150 minutes (2 hours and 30 minutes) of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise each week, unless advised otherwise by the doctor in charge of your care
- eat a low-fat, high-fibre diet, including wholegrains and at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day
- moderate your alcohol consumption
Symptoms of a heart attack include pain in your chest, arm or back, dizziness and sweating. Call 999 if you think someone is having a heart attack.
A heart attack needs to be treated in hospital as quickly as possible. Medicine or surgery may be needed to restore the supply of blood to your heart.
A heart attack is caused by the blood vessels that supply the heart becoming blocked.
You can help reduce your risk of having a heart attack by eating a healthy diet, doing regular exercise and maintaining a healthy weight.
Related links
HealthUnlocked contains information from NHS Digital, licensed under the current version of the Open Government Licence
