New Delhi:Heart attack is often associated with chest pain or heaviness, but its symptoms are not limited to the chest only. Before a heart attack, pain or discomfort may be felt in some other parts of the body also. Many times people ignore these signs considering them as normal body pain, gas or digestive problem. Apart from the chest, the pain of heart attack can also be felt in the arms, neck, jaw, back and upper abdomen. It is important to recognize such signs in time.
Before a heart attack, pain or some kind of pressure may be felt in the middle of the chest. Some people also feel heaviness or tightness in the chest. This discomfort may last for more than a few minutes or may go away and start again after some time. Apart from this, pain may also occur in the left or right hand. This pain can start from the shoulder and spread to the hand and fingers. After some time the pain may subside and come back again, so it is not right to leave it as just normal pain.
Severe pain in the neck, jaw and back can also be among the signs visible before a heart attack. This pain may start suddenly and persist or may be accompanied by chest discomfort. Such symptoms may be more visible especially in women. Therefore, if there is sudden and severe pain in neck, jaw or back, it should not be ignored considering it as a normal problem.
Stomach pain is sometimes mistaken for a digestive problem. People leave it associating it with cramps, gas or constipation, but stomach pain is not normal every time. Before a heart attack, pain may be felt in the upper part of the stomach. Therefore, it is important to take this type of pain seriously along with other possible signs. Such discomfort in different parts of the body may be related to heart attack.
Symptoms of heart attack may appear differently in men and women. Like men, chest pain or discomfort is the most common symptom in women, but some signs can also be seen in women which are not usually associated with heart attack. For this reason, unusual pain and discomfort in other parts of the body apart from the chest should not be ignored.