Heart attacks can be easily missed or confused with other health-related episodes. A heart attack is when blood flow To heart blocked, limiting the oxygen supply. Heart attacks are medical emergencies that, if ignored, could result in serious problems or death. That's why it's important to know the vital signs so you can pay attention to them and treat them as soon as possible. A recent thread on Reddit shows that signs of a heart attack can range from cold hands to seizures to vomiting and everything in between.
Catching the signs early increases your chances of surviving a heart attack, but the most important part is being able to recognize when one is happening and remember the five key steps. This guide will help you be better prepared and provides life-saving advice for heart attacks.
Learn more about heart health tips by reading how to check heart parameters at home, six important blood tests you need to get done And understanding the importance of your blood type.
Common symptoms of a heart attack
When you think of a “heart attack,” the first symptoms that may come to mind are classic symptoms such as chest discomfort. Heart attacks can present differently in men and women, and in people with certain medical conditions, such as diabetes.
Read more: The Best Chest Heart Rate Monitors for 2025
Symptoms of a heart attack may include:
- Chest discomfort, pain or pressure radiating to the jaw, back and/or left shoulder.
- Bad stomach upset or nausea
- Extreme fatigue
- Dyspnea
- General health is poor
“Basically, anything from the belly button,” says Dr. Khadija Bresette, a heart failure transplant cardiologist and assistant professor of medicine at Indiana University. “The constant pressure should make you worry that you should see a doctor, and it's okay if it's something else. We'd rather have a person go to a health care provider and get tested rather than worry about it at home, because that's what increases the risk of death.”
1. Call 911 no matter what
If you experience any of the above symptoms, even if you are not sure it is a heart attack, you should call 911 immediately, doctors recommend.
“If you feel sick or begin to experience chest discomfort, seek medical attention immediately because the sooner you get treatment, the better,” says Dr. Grant Reed, an interventional cardiologist and director of the STEMI program at the Cleveland Clinic. “Many patients ignore their symptoms, and by the time they arrive, their heart muscle has already died.”
“The No. 1 indicator of how well you'll feel after a heart attack is how quickly you recognize your symptoms,” Reed adds. There is a close relationship between when you have a heart attack (usually when symptoms appear) and how quickly doctors can open the blocked coronary artery that caused it: the shorter the time, the better resultsThis concerns not only survival, but also the likelihood of heart failure or the need for readmission to hospital.
When you get to the hospital, health care providers will likely perform an electrocardiogram, which will determine the diagnosis of a heart attack. If it is a heart attack, you will be taken to the cardiac catheterization laboratory where a coronary angiogram will be performed. If you have a blocked coronary artery, doctors will suggest treatment with a balloon and stent to keep the artery open.
Many people are hesitant to seek emergency medical care due to lack of insurance or immigration status. In the United States, hospitals are required to treat all people admitted with life-threatening conditions.
“It’s much better to get treatment and deal with the financial consequences after the fact,” Reed says. “In most cases, costs can be negotiated with the hospital,” he adds.
2. Let the ambulance take you to the hospital.
If you think you are having a heart attack, do not go to the hospital: call an ambulance. “You could lose consciousness and hurt yourself or others on the road,” says Dr. Joel Beachy, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic Health System in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The same goes for having a loved one drive you: if your symptoms worsen, they may not be able to help you while driving and may become distracted.
According to Beachy, paramedics can provide the best and fastest care while you're on your way to the hospital, including performing an assessment and providing some treatment.
“If you are around someone who is experiencing symptoms of a heart attack and becomes unconscious, you should first call 911 and then perform CPR,” Bresette says. (You can find free CPR training at your local American Heart Association branch and many other places.)
3. Take aspirin if you have it.
If you have heart attack symptoms and have access to aspirin, take the full 325 mg dose after calling emergency services, Beachy says. (If you have baby aspirin, which comes in an 81-milligram dose, take four.) He recommends chewing it rather than swallowing it to get it into your body faster.
Cause? When you have a heart attack, plaque inside your arteries becomes unstable and ruptures, forming a blood clot that can cut off the blood supply to that artery. Taking aspirin may help break up some of the clot.
4. Protect yourself
In an ideal world, health care providers would take all patient concerns seriously when it comes to heart attack symptoms, but research shows that women and people of color are less likely to receive adequate treatment for heart attacks and heart disease. For example, older black women were 50% less likely to receive treatment when they were admitted to the hospital with symptoms of a heart attack or coronary artery disease than white women, including after controlling for education, income, insurance status and other heart health complications such as diabetes and high blood pressure. 2019 study found.
“For most of our history in the United States, it was very clear that women and people of color were not being heard,” Bresette says. “Their symptoms are ignored and their outcomes worsen. As a health care system, we have much more work to do to change this system so that every person can receive equitable care, no matter their demographic.”
Until that time comes, patients need to be their own advocates and speak up for themselves, she adds. If they are not listened to, they have the right to seek help elsewhere.
One tip recommended by a TikTok resident: If you feel like a provider isn't taking your symptoms seriously, due to heart health or other reasons, you can ask the provider, “What's your differential diagnosis?”
Differential diagnosis is a term that describes the different conditions that may contribute to your symptoms. Essentially, the doctor needs to explain why he ruled out a heart attack and what else it could be. “It can help a person realize, oh, I haven't done effective testing to make sure it's not a heart condition,” Bresette says.
You can also bring a family member or friend with you to ask questions on your behalf. If you can, write down questions in advance so you can answer them during your short visit. And call back for unanswered questions. If you are not satisfied or feel unheard, find a different care team.
5. Prevention work
You've heard it a million times, but that's because it's true: best way to prevent a heart attack These include eating a healthy diet, doing 120 to 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week, controlling cholesterol and blood pressure, and quitting smoking.
Heart attacks can happen to people of any age, race and gender. You should have regular physical exams with your primary care provider to assess your risk and make lifestyle changes that may help prevent it. Some people may also benefit from taking a baby aspirin every day as a preventative measure, but you should talk to your doctor about this.
Exercise is important even if you have a history of heart problems, Beachy says.
Knowing what to do to prevent and respond to a heart attack is just one of many important elements of your health that you should be aware of. Read on to find out best workouts to strengthen your heart, difference between types of cholesterol And how your diet affects your health. Also, if you're looking for new ways to monitor your metrics, check out CNET's list of recommended ones. fitness trackers And blood pressure monitors.
Although anyone can suffer from a heart attack, there are ways to reduce your risk of having one. Maintaining a healthy diet and regular moderate exercise are two examples. Monitoring your cholesterol levels and getting regular medical checkups can also help.
If you think you may be having a heart attack, call 911. Resist the temptation to drive to the hospital yourself—you could pass out and hurt yourself or others along the way.
