Here's the thing - people experiencing a heart attack can have any combination, or none of the symptoms. So here's some of the symptoms, bearing in mind that they may or may not apply to any given situation.
Chest Pain
The first and most obvious sign is chest pain. It may be radiating down your left side (jaw/arm). It is generally described as a crushing pain. This symptom is less likely to occur for women or people with diabetes. If the chest pain is not relieved by resting (i.e. sitting down), it points towards a heart attack.
Shortness of Breath
As a body attempts to bring more oxygen into the body faster (because your heart isnt perfusing efficiently anymore), breathing will become faster and more shallow.
Pulse - Rapid, Weak
You should take your pulse a few times a year to get a baseline of what it's normally like. During a heart attack, it can become faster and weaker. However, this is relative - your pulse may normally be weak. This is why it is important to have a baseline.
Nausea, Dizzyness, Sweating, Weakness
These physical symptoms by themselves are usually not a concern (they happen with many sorts of illness really) but in combination with the above can be a warning sign.
If you're high risk and are suffering from the above symptoms, its always advisable to err on the side of caution and call the emergency services. In fact, if you're at all worried, just call.
There are some things you can do to help yourself during a heart attack:
1) Call emergency services.
2) Make sure emergency services can access you, especially if you're on your own. Unlock door, etc.
3) Half sitting position. Place your back up against a wall and sit with your knees raised.
4) Take an aspirin. This will thin your blood and relieve pressure on your heart.
5) Try control your breathing.
6) Try not to worry (yeah, I know, this is a hard one).
Source: EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) with voluntary ambulance services.
If the chest pain is not relieved by resting (i.e. sitting down), it points towards a heart attack.
But if you have repeated episodes of chest pain relieved by resting, it might point to angina pectoris -- not technically a heart attack but potentially serious. If it's unpredictable pain and not relieved by rest, it could be unstable angina and much more serious. Yet another thing that makes heart trouble difficult to distinguish from anxiety.
My case is a bit different. First I had tooth pain. I went to the dentist pointing him the tooth. He made a radio and said that I could not have pain because this tooth was abnormal and had no nerve. I didn't investigate further. Later I learned that hart pain can be linked to tooth pain.
I later had a huge pain in my elbow. It was as if a big nail was hammered through it. I then went to my cardiologist and he noticed a change in my ECG. I did a ECG under effort and he stopped it after a minute. My ECG became completely crazy under effort. I saw it later. From this point things went as routine work. Got a stent and everything is now ok.
So symptoms my differ. I never had chest pain. Only elbow pain. The tooth pain was also a hint I now monitor. When it hurts I know I have to be careful with what I eat. It then calms down.
Chest Pain The first and most obvious sign is chest pain. It may be radiating down your left side (jaw/arm). It is generally described as a crushing pain. This symptom is less likely to occur for women or people with diabetes. If the chest pain is not relieved by resting (i.e. sitting down), it points towards a heart attack.
Shortness of Breath As a body attempts to bring more oxygen into the body faster (because your heart isnt perfusing efficiently anymore), breathing will become faster and more shallow.
Pulse - Rapid, Weak You should take your pulse a few times a year to get a baseline of what it's normally like. During a heart attack, it can become faster and weaker. However, this is relative - your pulse may normally be weak. This is why it is important to have a baseline.
Nausea, Dizzyness, Sweating, Weakness These physical symptoms by themselves are usually not a concern (they happen with many sorts of illness really) but in combination with the above can be a warning sign.
In any discussion about heart attacks, it's important for you to understand the risk factors: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-attack/b...
If you're high risk and are suffering from the above symptoms, its always advisable to err on the side of caution and call the emergency services. In fact, if you're at all worried, just call.
There are some things you can do to help yourself during a heart attack: 1) Call emergency services. 2) Make sure emergency services can access you, especially if you're on your own. Unlock door, etc. 3) Half sitting position. Place your back up against a wall and sit with your knees raised. 4) Take an aspirin. This will thin your blood and relieve pressure on your heart. 5) Try control your breathing. 6) Try not to worry (yeah, I know, this is a hard one).
Source: EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) with voluntary ambulance services.