Heart attack symptom question

[oatbucket]

They say when a person is having a heart attack that their left arm will hurt.  What exactly does that hurt feel like?  Are there other symptoms or could that be the only one?

Thanks!

[jmike1_]

I'm certainly no expert, but as some have said the symptoms differ.  Especially between women and men.  Never had a heart attack, thank goodness, but I've had some pretty significant blockages (have 5 stents), and neither has my dad (9 stents), but we both have had significant symptoms for our blockages.  And both of our symptoms are extremely different.  I have significant long lasting chest pressure and discomfort, a pinching in my shoulder and/or back pain, and some numbness in my left arm.  My dad's symptoms are more like what I've read for women's symptoms and stomach related.  Either way, significant symptoms should not be ignored.  Hopefully, eventually, one can tell the difference between real symptoms and symptoms from other causes.  I think everyone who's had stents, CABG, or a heart attack lives the rest of their lives w/ stress over the situation.  The key is to know when the symptoms require a trip to the ER and when they don't.  I have pretty unstable angina all the time, so hopefully I'm figuring it out.  For me, the difference has to do with the severity of the discomfort.  I think I can now know that if the pressure causes serious discomfort that is hard to tolerate, I better go to the ER (if my nitro isn't helping).  But if the pressure is a lower grade and the discomfort is not quite as severe, I can probably ride it out.  This is my plan of action based on my symptoms.  Others will probably have a completely different plan.  Anyone by the way seen Al Dente around lately?  I use to see him all the time on the doc-to-patient forum and liked his comments a lot (very helpful), but haven't seen him for awhile and was concerned.  Thanks, and God bless!

[ireneo]

Soooo, what if:
Deep ache in chest (just above nipple line) that goes through to the back
Ache shoots up the neck along carotid area and along clavicle
Mild light-headness
Worst of it lasts about 20 mins. then gradually eases off

But it all happens on the right side. Angina, MI or just good old gas?

[mysterychemist54]

I would point out that chest/arm/jaw pain are the classic symptons of a heart attack.  However, it is important to realize that not everyone has the classic signs of a heart attack.  Up to 25% are thought to be silent heart attacks with no obviuos symptons.  Women may not experience chest pain; instead they feel nauseous, shortness of breath, sweating, pain in the shouldrs, etc.  

I am a 54 year old male.  I went to the ER with what I thought was pinched nerve or pull muscle between my shoulder blades. No chest pain.  I was walking up stairs with no problems and had just a litttle tightness between my shoulder blades. The Drs ran an EKG since I was over 50 and, to my surprise, I found out that I was having a heart attack.

[anacyde]

Pain can be in either arm, or both.  The heart attack survivors in my family describe it like an elephant in a truck parked on your chest and the subsequent pain of that radiating out to the shoulders, neck, jaw and wrists.  They all felt it in both arms.  They also describe sweating profusely despite efforts to cool off.  My grandmother did not have the sweating so much, but still some.

Now of course I get esophageal spasms that feel much like that sounds, but not so much chest pressure.  I get the whole radiating pain thing.  Nitro will relieve both.  I hope I can tell the difference if it ever becomes necessary.

[SillyHeart]

This is from the ask a doctor forum linked in the upper left corner of this forum.


The American Heart Association says the body likely will send one or more of these warning signals of a heart attack:

    * Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, squeezing or pain in the center of the chest lasting more than a few minutes.
    * Pain spreading to the shoulders, neck or arms
    * Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or shortness of breath.
    * Not all of these signs occur in every attack. Sometimes they go away and return. If some occur, get help fast.