Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction)

Heart Attack Symptoms

The symptoms of myocardial infarction, or a heart attack, differ from person to person, and each patient experiences a heart attack differently. Most individuals experiencing a heart attack have symptoms hours, days, or sometimes weeks in advance. Others, however, may have a heart attack suddenly, and one quarter of all victims experience no myocardial infarction symptoms at all before one occurs.

When victims do experience heart attack symptoms, they usually include some or all of the following:

• Chest pain and discomfort that spreads to the back, neck, jaw, and upper stomach
• Nausea, abdominal pain, or indigestion
• Fatigue
• A cold sweat
• Heartburn
• Dizziness or lightheadedness

If you are experiencing the above symptoms, call 911 immediately.

These symptoms may be present constantly or intermittently during a heart attack, and they can vary in their severity. Those suffering from a severe heart attack have described the pain as feeling like a giant fist was squeezing their heart. Some people only have mild heart attack symptoms and mistaken their heart attack for something like heartburn. And, symptoms often vary based on gender, as women are less likely than men to experience chest pain before a heart attack.

The physicians at Tampa General Hospital’s Heart and Vascular Institute can provide life-saving treatment for heart attack which is the leading cause of death among both men and women in United States.