Symptoms of a heart attack are one of the common heart problems that pose a great danger to the life of the victim. The earlier the symptoms of myocardial infarction and signs of a heart attack are identified and the patient is treated, the greater the chance of saving their life and recovering faster.
The symptoms associated with myocardial infarction are variable and may not always be predictable or consistent among all patients. Common symptoms include feeling pain or pressure in the chest area, and this pain may extend to the arm, shoulder, back, jaw, neck, or stomach.
Myocardial infarction may also result in a feeling of extreme fatigue without an obvious reason, in addition to the appearance of other symptoms such as cold sweat, nausea, vomiting, and in some cases, fainting may occur. You find yourself wondering: How long do heart attack symptoms last?
These symptoms can vary in their intensity, and when do the symptoms of a stroke begin before it occurs? They may last for several hours, making paying attention to them and seeking immediate medical help extremely crucial. Some call this condition “heart angina symptoms” or “angina symptoms,” although the more accurate medical term is myocardial infarction or heart attack.
Importance of Knowing Heart Attack Symptoms
Understanding myocardial infarction symptoms is an essential step for the prevention of serious complications, because a heart attack often does not give the patient much time to act. The earlier the signs are recognized, the greater the chance of saving a larger part of the heart muscle and the lower the risk of permanent insufficiency or death. Awareness of symptoms helps the person themselves or those around them to call for emergencies immediately, which is what doctors like Professor Dr. Mohamed El-Ghannam insist on as the most important factor in improving survival chances.
What are the Heart Attack Symptoms (Myocardial Infarction Symptoms)?
A heart attack usually appears in the form of pressing or squeezing pain in the middle of the chest that may extend to the shoulder, arm, back, or jaw. The pain is usually accompanied by shortness of breath, cold sweat, nausea, dizziness, or a strong feeling of discomfort. These symptoms are not just “normal chest pain,” but are often constant and do not improve with rest, and their intensity increases gradually within minutes. Also, the change in the nature of the pain and its persistence are basic signs that require calling for an ambulance immediately.
What are the Symptoms of the Beginning of a Heart Attack?
The beginning of a heart attack may be deceptive, as it appears in the form of an early warning before the artery is completely blocked. Among the most prominent of these signs are feeling mild pain or intermittent pressure in the chest, unusual fatigue, shortness of breath that occurs with simple effort, or pain resembling “burning” in the upper abdomen. These symptoms may come and go, and the patient may not associate them with the heart. Therefore, any new and unexplained chest pain requires urgent medical evaluation.
What are Myocardial Infarction Symptoms?
Before starting with the symptoms, what is a heart attack must be clarified. A heart attack is a health emergency, occurring as a result of a lack of supply of the heart with the amount of blood it needs, as a result of the formation of a blood clot that obstructs the flow of blood in the coronary arteries that feed the heart muscle with blood and elements. This results in damage or death of part of the heart muscle, and it is called heart attacks.
Some myocardial infarction symptoms may be simple and limited to feeling discomfort with shortness of breath, which is called silent heart attacks. The danger of this type of attack and mild symptoms lies in the fact that the patient may not pay attention to them, thus exposing their life to danger and the occurrence of more obstruction in the coronary arteries.
How Long Do Heart Attack Symptoms Last?
The first sign of myocardial infarction symptoms is chest pain. The pain may start several hours, days, or weeks before the heart attack. The heart attack itself may last from 15 minutes to several hours depending on the health condition of the patient. It is worth noting that a delay of more than 20 minutes in treating myocardial infarction symptoms may increase the death rate. Thus, you have known how long heart attack symptoms last.
The doctor may ask the patient to commit to things like a healthy diet, getting rid of obesity, and practicing sports so that they help the patient’s recovery and reduce the chances of complications appearing, such as:
- Heart rhythm irregularity, which is one of the most famous possible complications and can lead to death.
- Heart muscle failure which may lead to deterioration of the patient’s condition and sudden cardiac arrest if not handled quickly.
- Ease of infection with what is known as angina pectoris. Therefore, it is important to know: How do you know you have angina?
- Inflammation of the membrane surrounding the heart (or what is known as the pericardium).
- Occurrence of heart muscle rupture and also disruption of the work of heart valves.
How Long Do Heart Attack Symptoms Last Before It Occurs?
There is no fixed duration, but some patients experience warning symptoms extending from minutes to hours, and may appear hours or days before the heart attack, especially fatigue and shortness of breath. As for the acute chest pain associated with the heart attack itself, it usually lasts more than 10 minutes and does not disappear with rest. Medical sources indicate that the persistence of pain for more than 5–10 minutes with a pressing or extending pattern is an emergency indicator that should not be ignored. Thus, you have known how long heart attack symptoms last before it occurs.
Mild Heart Attack Symptoms
Mild heart attack symptoms occur as a result of obstruction of one of the arteries responsible for feeding the heart, which obstructs the blood flow process and reduces heart perfusion. A mild heart attack is characterized by the victim being conscious and able to describe the symptoms, which include:
- Pain in the middle of the chest or the left side that lasts for a few minutes then disappears and returns.
- Feeling of discomfort in the upper part of the back, or the upper part of the stomach, or the arms, or the jaw, or the shoulders, or the neck.
- Shortness of breath with chest pain.
- Extreme anxiety or fear of death.
- Feeling dizzy.
- Heavy sweating with pain.
- Nausea and vomiting.
- General body weakness.
Symptoms Before a Heart Attack
The heart is a muscle that needs nutrients and oxygen to work efficiently. Therefore, when a partial or total obstruction of the arteries that provide blood containing these nutrients to the heart occurs, the muscle begins to die as a result of the lack of blood supply to the heart, and myocardial infarction symptoms appear, such as:
- Feeling pain or discomfort in the chest, especially on the left side, for several minutes.
- Cold sweat.
- Pain extending to the arm, neck, back, or stomach.
- Shortness of breath.
- Feeling heartbeats and insomnia.
In fact, some early signs may appear before the actual heart angina symptoms appear, such as a continuous feeling of pain or chest compression, and this feeling does not disappear during rest times, for example, and the feeling of pain increases when performing physical effort. It is preferred to consult a specialized doctor such as Professor Dr. Mohamed El-Ghannam in case of feeling heart attack symptoms before it occurs.
False Heart Attack Symptoms
Heart attack symptoms in women may differ slightly, as they may suffer from mild heart attack symptoms such as pain in the upper abdomen, feeling dizzy and nauseous, and unexplained fatigue, or chest pain. Sometimes heart attack symptoms for women are confused with false heart attack symptoms or what is called broken heart syndrome.
The most famous cause for the occurrence of this syndrome is receiving shocking and sudden news, whether sad or happy news, so the secretion of stress hormones such as adrenaline increases, causing symptoms such as heart rhythm disturbance and shortness of breath. It does not cause obstruction of the arteries unlike actual myocardial infarction symptoms (in which the percentage of these hormones is normal).
Also, this syndrome occurs in women more than men, especially those over the age of sixty, and it is often handled like handling real myocardial infarction symptoms.
Types of Heart Attacks
The nature of heart attack symptoms differs according to its type. There are 3 types of heart attacks, as follows:
- Acute Myocardial Infarction: Occurs suddenly, and acute heart attack symptoms are characterized by severe chest pain with shortness of breath and the appearance of sweat, and require going to the nearest hospital immediately.
- Silent Heart Attack: Characterized by the absence of any clear symptom, discovered by the doctor during routine examinations.
- Recurrent Heart Attack: Occurs after infection with a previous heart attack, and the risk of its occurrence increases over time.
Causes of Sudden Myocardial Infarction
It is necessary to know heart attack symptoms and how to deal with them. Sudden symptoms of myocardial infarction may appear on a person, requiring emergency intervention immediately. Among the most prominent causes of sudden myocardial infarction:
- Antiphospholipid syndrome, which is an autoimmune condition occurring because the body produces antibodies that attack healthy cells, leading to an increase in blood clotting.
- Peripheral artery disease, which is a health condition that causes narrowing or obstruction of the arteries that transport blood to the limbs, usually the legs and feet.
- Effect of taking some types of medications, such as hormone therapy medications and oral contraceptive pills.
- Factor V Leiden mutation, which is genetic occurring in factor V, one of the blood clotting factors, increasing the chances of a sudden clot forming.
- Smoking, as it works to increase blood viscosity in addition to damaging the lining of blood vessels, making it one of the causes of sudden stroke, and is one of the most common causes for the appearance of heart attack symptoms for men.
- Family history regarding infection with different blood clots, which is one of the reasons for the appearance of heart attack symptoms in young people, as well as a cause of angina pectoris.
- Pregnancy, which is one of the most prominent causes of myocardial infarction in women. With the increase in the weight of the fetus, pressure is formed on the arteries and veins in the pelvic area and legs.
- Heart rhythm irregularity problems.
- Atherosclerosis.
- Heart attack.
- Heart failure.
- High cholesterol.
- Suffering from obesity.
- Complications of undergoing some surgical operations.
- Sitting for long periods of time.
- Diseases associated with chronic inflammation.
- Some types of infection, such as: HIV, and infection with hepatitis.
Signs of Myocardial Infarction
Professor Dr. Mohamed El-Ghannam, Consultant of Open-Heart Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgical Intervention, points out the necessity of awareness of symptoms and signs of heart attacks to rescue the victim as quickly as possible. The most important signs that may indicate the occurrence of a heart attack include:
- Chest pain and feeling pressure or discomfort in the middle of the chest or the left side of it.
- Spreading of pain to the arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
- Shortness and difficulty in breathing and feeling tightness in the throat.
- Cold sweat.
- Feeling the urge to nausea and vomiting.
- Dizziness and fainting: feeling dizzy or loss of consciousness.
- Feeling sudden extreme fatigue.
Read also for more information: Is angina dangerous?
Early Myocardial Infarction Symptoms
Early heart attack symptoms may be mild and non-specific, making diagnosis of symptoms in the early stages difficult, but there are some common symptoms that must be paid attention to, which are as follows:
- Feeling pain and heaviness in the chest that may spread to the arms, shoulders, neck, jaw, or back.
- Difficulty in breathing.
- Heavy sweating, especially on the forehead.
- Pain or burning in the stomach.
- Feeling extreme unexplained fatigue.
- Dry cough: A dry cough may appear especially in women.
Heart Attack Symptoms in Women
Studies indicate that the rate of women’s exposure to heart attack infection is greater than men. In addition, the death rate of women after exposure to the first heart attack is higher than men.
Heart attack symptoms for women differ slightly from men, as they are sometimes less clear and their diagnosis is more difficult. Therefore, knowing the symptoms of a stroke in women and heart attack symptoms in women is an essential step for early diagnosis. Some common symptoms that must be paid attention to include:
- Chest pain, which is the most common symptom, and differs from what men feel in that it is less intense or the lady feels it as pressure or burning.
- Stomach pain.
- Extreme unexplained fatigue with a feeling of difficulty in breathing.
- Feeling nauseous or vomiting.
- Pain in the back, jaw, or neck: Pain may spread from the heart to these areas.
- Dry cough.
- Difficulty in concentration.
- Severe dizziness or fainting.
- Heavy sweating.
Heart Attack Symptoms Before It Occurs in Women
It is a common mistake among most women to believe that heart attack symptoms occur suddenly, but Professor Dr. Mohamed El-Ghannam, Consultant of Open-Heart Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgical Intervention, indicates that some heart attack symptoms in women may occur several weeks or months before the infection. Early heart attack symptoms in women can include:
- General fatigue and exhaustion, which is one of the common early symptoms in women.
- Indigestion.
- Insomnia and anxiety.
- Shortness and difficulty in breathing.
Heart Attack Symptoms in Men
Men often show classic symptoms clearly, including pressing chest pain, shortness of breath, and numbness of the left arm. They may also suffer from severe cold sweat, sudden nausea, or a feeling that “something serious is happening.” A heart attack in men is characterized by the chest pain usually being strong and clear, and persisting despite rest. Medical statistics indicate that ignoring this pain is the main reason for the delay in treatment.
What are the Causes of Sudden Heart Attack?
The direct cause is the obstruction of one of the coronary heart arteries due to a blood clot forming over a narrowing resulting from the accumulation of fats (atherosclerosis). But what makes the stroke “sudden” is the occurrence of a rupture in the fatty plaque suddenly, leading to the formation of a large clot that blocks the artery within a short time. Risk factors include smoking, high cholesterol, high pressure, diabetes, obesity, stress, and lack of activity. These factors increase the susceptibility of the artery to rapid and unexpected obstruction.
You may also be interested in reading: Treating Coronary Artery Obstruction Without Surgery
Does a Heart Attack Patient Recover?
Professor Dr. Mohamed El-Ghannam emphasizes the possibility of recovery and healing from myocardial infarction significantly. The extent of healing and recovery depends on several factors, such as:
- Speed of medical intervention during the occurrence of the stroke.
- Size of the area affected by the stroke in the heart.
- Patient’s age and general health.
- Commitment to treatment and following the doctor’s instructions.
- Following a healthy lifestyle contributes significantly to recovery.
Signs of Recovery from Myocardial Infarction
The cells that make up the heart muscle do not regenerate after they die or are damaged. Therefore, scar tissue forms in the place of the heart attack, and the heart performance in the patient does not return to what it was before, but its performance improves even more.
In general, signs of recovery from myocardial infarction are summarized in the patient getting rid of all heart attack symptoms and the appearance of positive signs indicating improvement, such as:
- Increased ability to practice physical activity without feeling extreme fatigue.
- Feeling greater ease in breathing and no shortness of breath during effort.
- Disappearance or relief of chest pain.
- Improved sleep.
- Improved medical test results, such as ECG and blood tests.
Is a Heart Attack Dangerous?
Yes, a heart attack is extremely dangerous, as blood perfusion is cut off to part of the heart muscle, leading to cell death in this part. If myocardial infarction symptoms are not treated quickly as well as angina treatment, it can lead to serious complications such as:
- Heart failure: the heart’s inability to pump enough blood to the body.
- Heart rhythm disturbance that may lead to sudden death.
- Brain damage due to lack of oxygen delivery to the brain.
- Death.
This clearly answers the question of many: Does a heart attack cause death?, especially in the event of delay in seeking urgent medical care.
Cardiac Arrest Symptoms
Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively, and it is an emergency that requires immediate intervention. In many cases, the first sign is sudden loss of consciousness, with cessation of breathing or the appearance of abnormal breathing, in addition to the absence of a pulse.
This condition may sometimes be preceded by warning symptoms such as pain or pressure in the chest, or shortness of breath, or a feeling of dizziness and general weakness. Medical references indicate that the speed of recognizing these signs and seeking urgent medical help is a decisive factor in saving the patient’s life and reducing complications.
Early Stroke Symptoms
Early stroke symptoms differ according to the affected organ, but they often appear suddenly and require attention. In cases of heart attack, the patient may feel pain or pressure in the middle of the chest extending sometimes to the arm or neck or jaw, with shortness of breath, sweating, and nausea.
As for cases of stroke, symptoms include sudden weakness in one side of the body, or difficulty in speaking, or loss of balance, or blurred vision. Medical guidelines emphasize that rapid intervention when these signs appear significantly increases treatment chances and reduces potential damages.
Causes of Heart Attack Occurrence
To know the causes of myocardial infarction fully, here are the most prominent causes that lead to infection with myocardial infarction:
- Obstruction of one of the coronary arteries due to the formation of a clot in it, or the transmission of a blood clot from another area through the bloodstream and its settlement in the coronary artery.
- The most common cause is atherosclerosis resulting from the accumulation of cholesterol and harmful fats on the inner wall of the coronary artery, thus causing narrowing of the blood path and weakness of the blood supply reaching the heart muscle.
- Deficiency in oxygen level.
- Drugs and cocaine are substances that cause narrowing of the arteries or blood vessels in general.
- Cases of coronary artery rupture.
There are also some factors that increase the risk of infection with heart attacks among patients, including:
- Smoking.
- Diet rich in fats and poor in important elements that promote heart health.
- Advancing age is one of the important causes that increase the probability of infection, especially after the age of 45 for men, and the age of 55 for women.
- Genetic factors and the existence of a family history of infection. Therefore, you find some patients asking: Does a heart attack cause death?
- Menopause in women.
- Patients who suffer from high blood pressure are more susceptible to infection in case of non-commitment to treatment.
- Lack of physical exercise.
- Obesity and diabetes.
What are the Signs of the Beginning of a Stroke?
Early myocardial infarction symptoms that may warn of the existence of a heart problem and the possibility of exposure to myocardial infarction include:
- Patient’s feeling of pressure and pain in the middle of the chest specifically, and it can extend to include the arms, shoulder, back, neck, and jaw.
- General feeling of pain and discomfort with shortness of breath.
- During a heart attack, the patient feels dizzy, blurred vision occurs, and extreme fatigue.
Heart Attack Symptoms Before It Occurs
The symptoms of infection with myocardial infarction are many, including:
- Feeling shortness and difficulty in breathing, and sudden extreme fatigue.
- Vomiting and nausea.
- Chest pains that may include the arm or shoulder or back and neck.
- Excessive sweating and feeling tired suddenly.
- Stomach pain and pain in the upper part of the intestines are possible symptoms.
- Ladies may feel lightheaded and dizzy, and the matter may develop for them to the occurrence of fatigue.
- Complaint of indigestion with a feeling of severe heartburn.
Diagnosis of Myocardial Infarction
In case of feeling chest pain and myocardial infarction symptoms, there are tests that are usually performed quickly because they help to diagnose myocardial infarction, including:
- Heart ultrasound (Echo).
- Measuring heart rate by electrocardiogram (ECG).
- Coronary artery catheterization.
- Blood analysis to search for the following proteins: Serum troponin analysis, Creatine phosphokinase (CK-MB) analysis, in addition to Serum myoglobin analysis.
Complications of Myocardial Infarction
In case of recurrence of myocardial infarction, and repeated neglect by the patient of myocardial infarction symptoms, and not taking treatment and continuous follow-up, it is possible for serious complications to occur due to the lack of delivery of blood supply to the heart muscle and increased obstruction in the coronary arteries. Among the most important complications of myocardial infarction:
- Heart rhythm irregularity.
- Heart muscle failure.
- Cardiogenic shock.
- Death occurrence, God forbid.
How to Deal with Myocardial Infarction
It must be remembered that in case of feeling myocardial infarction symptoms as mentioned, the best way to deal with that is to go to the nearest hospital or contact your specialized doctor. It is preferred to follow up with an experienced doctor such as Professor Dr. Mohamed El-Ghannam because the earlier the situation is treated, the lower the rate of entering into complications. We will mention some specialized measures when dealing with a heart attack as follows:
- Oxygen supply via an oxygen mask or oxygen tube.
- Taking medications such as Nitroglycerin and Aspirin according to the prescription written by the doctor.
- The treatment plan may include anticoagulant medications, especially when diagnosed with atherosclerosis, as well as taking medications to adjust heartbeats.
- The matter may need surgical intervention, especially in the case of hardening and narrowing of the arteries; a balloon or stent is placed inside the blood vessel (such as the coronary artery) to open it, and this operation is called coronary angioplasty.
Treatment of Myocardial Infarction and Heart Attack Symptoms
Medical Treatment:
Depends on using:
- Blood thinners to maintain blood flow and reduce the chance of stroke occurrence.
- Medications that help to expand coronary arteries.
- Treating high blood pressure in the patient.
- Treatment to adjust blood sugar levels.
- Cholesterol-lowering medications.
Read also: Normal Prothrombin Time for a Heart Patient
Cardiac Catheterization Treatment:
Depends on using cardiac catheterization to place a stent, which passes through the blood vessels in the thigh or arm, and is directed until it reaches the blocked or narrow artery, and then a heart stent is placed that works to maintain the expansion of the artery and keep it open.
- Balloon Catheterization: It means using a cardiac catheter with a balloon at its tip and directing it to the site of narrowing or obstruction, then inflating the balloon and expanding the artery, thus restoring the supply of the heart muscle with a sufficient amount of blood to perform its functions.
Endoscopic Coronary Artery Obstruction Treatment:
It refers to minimally invasive surgery. Coronary artery obstruction is treated without surgery using an endoscope, where small openings not exceeding 5 cm are made, and the endoscope is inserted through them to reach the site of the blocked coronary artery and repair it in the appropriate way.
Minimally invasive endoscopic surgeries are among the safest surgeries, and they ensure faster patient recovery, spending a short convalescence period, and the patient being able to return to practicing their life faster compared to open-heart surgery.
Open-Heart Operation for Coronary Artery Obstruction Treatment:
Some people are not suited for using cardiac catheterization nor minimally invasive surgical intervention. Therefore, they must undergo an open-heart operation to create a new path for the blood artery.
This is called coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery. During this operation, a healthy blood vessel from another place in the body, often the leg, is used.
How Do I Save Myself from a Heart Attack?
There are some things you must commit to in order to protect yourself from exposure to heart attacks, including:
- Must persist in practicing physical exercises, so that your body does not get used to lethargy. You can walk daily for half an hour; this would stimulate your blood circulation.
- Must lose your weight, get rid of obesity, and maintain low levels of cholesterol in the blood.
- You must persist in drinking water and fluids.
- In case of feeling any of the aforementioned myocardial infarction symptoms, you must contact your doctor immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions about Heart Attack Symptoms
Can the beginning of a heart attack be treated at home?
If you notice heart attack symptoms or suspect their appearance on a relative, for example, you must first call the ambulance and emergency number according to your country. Maintain a comfortable position for the patient that allows them to breathe and reduce the burden on the heart. If you notice cessation of heart pulse and breath, apply cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately.
When the ambulance team arrives, the matter can be left to them, and they will use an external defibrillator on the patient immediately. If the patient is taking certain medications for heart diseases such as Aspirin, the dose specified in this case will be given.
Do heart attack symptoms have a cure?
Despite the seriousness of the condition, it can be treated as well as preventing its recurrence by following these steps:
- Prescribing some effective medications to treat myocardial infarction symptoms such as medications that regulate heartbeats and relieve the burden on heart work.
- Among the most famous risk factors for the occurrence of heart attacks are patients who suffer from hardening or narrowing of the arteries. In this case, surgical operations such as placing a catheter or heart stent are effective for them.
- A new heart can also be transplanted from a deceased donor if myocardial infarction reaches a point that cannot be lived with.
- Anticoagulant medications and cholesterol-lowering medications may help significantly in treating myocardial infarction symptoms.
Among the causes of sudden myocardial infarction is an unhealthy lifestyle. To prevent that, one must commit to healthy habits such as:
- Quitting smoking, as smoking increases the infection with cardiovascular diseases in general.
- Eating low-cholesterol and low-fat foods with practicing sports regularly daily, such as walking for 30 minutes daily.
- Following up on your health status constantly and treating associated diseases such as diabetes and autoimmune diseases.
- Commitment to the date of periodic examinations, especially if you have a history of heart attacks or for your family members.
There are other less famous causes for the occurrence of heart attacks such as: coronary artery dissection, abuse of certain types of drugs which cause a disturbance in heart rhythm regularity. Preeclampsia and high blood pressure can lead to the appearance of heart attack symptoms, and also stress where it is accompanied by an increase in the hormone adrenaline and cortisone, so symptoms similar to a heart attack appear as we mentioned.
According to recent statistics, Egypt ranks 15th globally in terms of death rates from heart and coronary artery diseases, and a large percentage of deaths are a result of incorrect and rapid handling of heart attack symptoms and delaying their treatment.
So book now with the best heart surgeon in Egypt, Professor Dr. Mohamed El-Ghannam, Consultant of Open-Heart Surgery and Minimally Invasive Surgical Intervention.
- Cairo, Nasr City: Medical Tower attached to Dar Al Fouad Hospital Nasr City – Intersection of Youssef Abbas with Nasr Road – Fourth Floor – Clinic 416.
- You can contact Professor Dr. Mohamed El-Ghannam at the clinic number 01211979117 and his official page.
In conclusion, a heart attack is one of the serious heart problems, which may cause death of heart cells and the occurrence of a heart attack. The faster the patient recognizes myocardial infarction symptoms and undergoes treatment early, the greater their chance of recovery and protecting their heart cells from damage and exposure to a heart attack.
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