What are some signs of a heart attack?

The presence of chest pain, shortness of breath, sweating, and nausea are widely recognized as hallmark symptoms of a heart attack. Chest pain, often described as a feeling of pressure, squeezing, or fullness, is typically associated with the heart's oxygen supply being compromised. Shortness of breath can accompany chest discomfort or occur independently. Sweating, particularly if it's profuse and accompanied by anxiety, suggests the body is under stress, which may relate to cardiac distress. Nausea can also occur as the body reacts to the pain and stress signals being processed, contributing to a sense of impending doom that many heart attack victims describe.

Other symptoms, while potentially relevant to various health issues, do not specifically centralize around heart attack indicators. Rapid heartbeat and dizziness can stem from numerous conditions, including anxiety or dehydration, but they lack the specificity to heart pathology. Extreme fatigue and headache might point to other health concerns but are less directly linked to myocardial events. Lastly, back pain and fever often suggest different medical issues, such as infections or musculoskeletal problems, and are not typically associated with the acute manifestation of a heart attack.