Signs of a Heart Attack or Stroke

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. The arm may be tingling or numb. The pain may be mild to intense. It may feel like pressure, tightness, burning, or heavy weight. It may be located in the chest, upper abdomen, neck, jaw, or inside the arms or shoulders. Please note that diabetic patients may not experience any pain at all.

Chest discomfort with lightheadedness, fainting, profuse sweating, nausea or shortness of breath, Dizziness and weakness.

Anxiety, nervousness and/or cold, sweaty skin.

Increased or irregular heart beating.

Feeling of impending doom.

Feeling of indigestion

Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.

Sudden confusion, trouble in speaking or understanding

Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

Sudden trouble walking, loss of balance or coordination

Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Not all of these signs occur in every attack. Sometimes they go away and return. If some occur, get help fast. IF YOU NOTICE ONE OR MORE OF THESE SIGNS IN YOURSELF OR OTHERS, DON'T WAIT. CALL EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES RIGHT AWAY! In the event of cardiopulmonary arrest (no breathing or pulse), begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately.

Angina is a warning symptom of heart disease – but it is not a heart attack. The symptoms of a heart attack (also called myocardial infarction or "MI") are similar to angina .

The difference between angina and a heart attack

Angina	Heart Attack
Is brought on by a brief period of poor blood supply to the heart muscle	Occurs when the blood supply to the heart muscle is blocked for an extended period of time (often due to a clot forming in a partially blocked coronary artery)
Does not cause permanent damage to the heart	Results in permanent damage to the heart muscle
Symptoms last just a few minutes and are usually relieved by rest and/or medications. Symptoms include chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath, palpitations, faster heart rate, dizziness, nausea, extreme weakness and sweating	Symptoms usually last more than a few minutes and include chest pain or discomfort that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back; pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body; difficulty breathing or shortness of breath; sweating or "cold" sweat; fullness, indigestion or choking feeling; nausea or vomiting; light-headedness; extreme weakness; anxiety; rapid or irregular heartbeats
Symptoms are relieved by rest and/or medications within a few minutes	Symptoms are not relieved by rest or oral medications
Does not require emergency medical attention; however, it is important to call your doctor if this is the first time you've experienced angina, if you have new symptoms or if they become more frequent or severe	Requires emergency medical attention if symptoms last longer than 5 minutes