Symptoms of a heart attack

Symptoms of a heart attack may include:

chest pain which may feel like crushing or squeezing on your chest – the pain may also spread to your arm, neck and jaw
feeling short of breath
feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
feeling like you have indigestion – you may have a burning feeling in your chest and feel full or bloated
sweating
pale, blue or grey skin – on black or brown skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands

Immediate action required: Call 999 if:

you have chest pain that feels tight or like squeezing on your chest
you have chest pain that's spreading to your arms, neck or jaw
you're having severe difficulty breathing – you're gasping, choking or not able to get words out
your lips or skin are pale, blue or grey – on brown or black skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands
someone has passed out and is not responding normally

Do not drive yourself to A&E.

The person you speak to at 999 will give you advice about what to do.

Urgent advice: Call NHS 111 if:

you're suddenly more short of breath than usual
you have chest pain and you feel sick or are being sick
you have chest pain and you feel like your heart is racing, going too slowly, skipping a beat or have a fluttering feeling in your chest

While you're waiting for medical help

If you think you or someone else is having a heart attack, there are some things you can do while you wait for help.

Sit and rest on the floor in a comfortable position, with your knees bent and your back supported. If you cannot do this, you can also sit on a chair.
Take aspirin (300mg) if you have any – do not give aspirin to someone who has an aspirin allergy.
If you have angina, take your glyceryl trinitrate (GTN) spray if you have it with you.
Keep checking someone who may be having a heart attack to make sure they're still responding and breathing.
If someone stops responding to you and stops breathing, start CPR.

Find out how to do CPR

How a heart attack is diagnosed

You'll need tests including an electrocardiogram (ECG) and blood tests to find out if you're having a heart attack.

If these tests show you're having a heart attack, you may have further tests such as:

an echocardiogram, which can find out if your heart has been damaged
a coronary angiogram, which can find out exactly where the blood flow to your heart is blocked – the blockage may be treated at the same time

A doctor will discuss what your test results may mean for you.

Treatments for a heart attack

You'll need treatment in hospital for a heart attack. Your treatment will depend on how severe it is.

Treatments may include:

medicines to treat the blockage in your arteries and improve blood flow to your heart
a procedure to improve blood flow to your heart (coronary angioplasty) – this involves opening blocked arteries using a small plastic tube called a stent
surgery where arteries are taken from another part of your body and used in your heart to take blood around a blocked artery (coronary artery bypass)

A heart attack is a life-threatening condition and cannot always be treated. There's a chance someone who has one may die.

Medicines after a heart attack

You will be given medicines to take long-term after having a heart attack. They treat the causes of your heart attack and help reduce your risk of having another one.

These medicines may include:

antiplatelets to help stop your arteries getting blocked
statins to lower your cholesterol
other medicines to lower high blood pressure, such as ACE inhibitors and beta-blockers

Recovering from a heart attack

Heart attacks affect people in different ways. For some, it may take several weeks to recover, but there will be little impact on their life.

For others, recovery can take months or years.

After having a heart attack, you'll usually:

need to rest, including taking time off work
be referred to cardiac rehabilitation to help with your recovery – this may involve attending appointments in-person, or taking part remotely from home using video calls or apps

Most people can continue with their normal activities once they've recovered.

You may feel anxious or worried about getting back to your usual tasks or going back to work. Talk to your GP if you're feeling anxious or you have low mood after having a heart attack. They can help you get support.

Causes of a heart attack

Heart attacks are usually caused by a blood clot stopping enough blood getting to your heart.

You're more likely to have a heart attack if you:

smoke
have high blood pressure
have high cholesterol
have a close relative who's had a heart attack
have diabetes
are living with overweight or obesity

Reducing your risk of having a heart attack

You cannot always prevent a heart attack, but there are lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk of having one.

Do

stop smoking
try to keep your cholesterol at a healthy level
try to keep your blood pressure at a healthy level
eat a healthy, balanced diet
reduce the amount of salt and saturated fat you eat
try to maintain a healthy weight
exercise regularly
cut down on alcohol

Support after a heart attack

You may find it helpful to get emotional support from other people who've had a heart attack, either at a local group or online.

There are also national charities that can offer more information and support.

British Heart Foundation

Information and support for anyone affected by heart conditions, including local and online support services.

Heart helpline: 080 802 1234
British Heart Foundation website

Heart attack is different to cardiac arrest

Cardiac arrest is when your heart stops suddenly and causes you to lose consciousness. It's life-threatening but different to a heart attack, and needs different treatment.

The British Heart Foundation website has more information about cardiac arrest.