What does chest pain during a ​heart attack feel like?

Cardiovascular diseases, which comprise fatal heart complications like coronary heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease, and other conditions, kill close to 18 million people in a year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) says. One of the most important reasons the number of death cases in heart complications is so huge is that there is a lack of awareness about this disease. People ignore the subtle signs of the disease and only when the disease reaches a seriously damaging stage do they seek medical help. In this article, we will understand what chest pain during a heart attack feels like.

One of the typical characteristics of chest pain seen during a heart attack is mild discomfort in the center or on the left side of the chest. But one should not panic if there is a pain in the chest on the left side. It is a common assumption that every pain on the left side of the chest is a heart attack.

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The chest pain associated with a heart attack feels like a tight pain. It feels like there is extreme pressure on the chest all of a sudden. The feeling of fullness and crushing pain makes the person uncomfortable. In many cases, people experience a burning sensation in the chest.

Another distinguishable sign of a heart attack is that the pain often shoots toward the limbs. The pain usually starts in the chest and radiates to the neck, back, arms, and shoulders. During a heart attack, a person feels pain in the jaws as well.

This pain lasts for a few minutes. In many cases, it goes and comes back on its own. If you are experiencing any pain or tightness on the left side of the chest, contact your doctor immediately.

During a heart attack, chest pain is associated with several other complications. It is important to note if the person is showing signs like shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, or vomiting along with fullness or crushing feeling in the chest.

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"I am young I can't have a heart attack"

"Nobody in my family has had a heart attack"

These are certain myths that discourage people to seek help. Heart attacks are occurring in young people these days. There are several risk factors like unhealthy food habits, smoking, and drinking that influence the occurrence of heart complications in people. Taking medical help at the earliest can save one's life from an irreversible damage.