Will I Know That I'm Having A Heart Attack?

Joon Sup Lee, M.D., Professor of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh; Clinical Director, UPMC Cardiovascular Institute

November 7, 2008

Question: Will I Know That I Am Having A Heart Attack?

Answer: Well, the classic symptoms of a heart attack are chest pain or pressure, oftentimes associated with shortness of breath, dizziness, sweatiness, and sometimes even nausea and vomiting. Unfortunately, the symptoms of a heart attack are widely variable from one person to next and even sometimes from one instance to next on the same person.

ABC News Photo Illustration

So statistically, it turns out that that about 15 percent of the heat attacks are so called 'silent' -- that is the patient does not have any sypmtoms or do not recognize the symptoms they're having as a heart attack and fail to seek medical attention.

So it's really important to realize that if you're having symptoms that are similar to these or are worrisome and persistent, then you really need to seek medical attention, especially if you're at risk for heart attacks or have a history of heart disease.

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