Why heart hurts and how to recognize problems: Cardiologist's advice

How to understand that it's not a heart attack

According to a cardiologist, there are some ways to understand that chest pain is not a sign of a heart attack.

First, if you're running, walking briskly, or climbing stairs and you experience a sharp pain in your chest that radiates to your jaw, back, and arm, you should seek immediate medical attention from a cardiologist for evaluation.

Moreover, unpleasant sensations in the chest often occur during panic attacks. If, in addition to pain, you feel unwarranted anxiety, that's likely the cause. Heart pain typically localizes slightly to the left of center. If you feel discomfort in the middle or on the right side, it's more likely a panic attack.

Furthermore, if the discomfort in the chest lasts less than 10 minutes and doesn't recur after some time, it's not a heart attack. In the case of a heart attack, the pain slowly builds up or temporarily subsides only to return shortly after.

Also, if the pain is sharp and depends on body position or occurs when you try to take a deep breath and immediately feels sharp in the chest, you should see a neurologist. The doctor noted that in such a case, your heart is absolutely healthy.

First signs of a heart attack

The main symptoms of a heart attack include:

• Sudden pain (sometimes burning) in the chest
• Irregular heartbeat
• Feeling of tightness in the chest
• Spreading of pain or discomfort to the lower jaw, neck, shoulders, arms, or upper abdomen
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Profound weakness
• Cold sweats
• Feelings of anxiety

If experiencing such symptoms, immediate medical assistance should be sought by calling emergency services.

This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.