Why does a heart attack cause chest pain?

Chest Pain is a very common presentation of Heart Attack. It may feel like pressure, tightness, heaviness, squeezing, or burning in the chest. Discomfort can also spread to an arm, shoulder, neck, jaw, back, or upper stomach. Some people have breathlessness, sweating, nausea, light-headedness, or unusual fatigue instead of prominent chest pain. Chest symptoms have many causes, but possible heart-attack symptoms need emergency assessment.

If you think you or someone else may be having a heart attack, call emergency services immediately. Stop activity, sit or lie in a comfortable position, and stay with the person if it is safe to do so. Do not drive yourself to hospital. Follow instructions from the emergency call handler and take only medicines that have been prescribed or specifically advised for this situation.

Treat sudden or persistent chest pressure, pain with breathlessness, fainting, cold sweating, or pain spreading beyond the chest as an emergency. Urgent help is also needed when symptoms occur at rest or feel different from usual indigestion. Do not wait to see whether symptoms settle, because early assessment can identify serious heart problems and other urgent causes.

If a clinician has ruled out an immediate emergency, ask what may have caused the symptoms, what warning signs should prompt another emergency call, and whether follow-up tests are needed. Share when the pain began, what it felt like, where it spread, what you were doing, and any associated breathlessness, nausea, sweating, or dizziness.