10 Critical Symptoms That Could Mean a Heart Attack: Act Fast

7. Heartburn Or Indigestion

An individual experiencing a heart attack may feel as if they are being affected by indigestion or heartburn. The type of chest pain that develops during a heart attack is pressure and discomfort similar to feeling too full, having indigestion, or experiencing heartburn. Because a heart attack can produce symptoms like indigestion and heartburn, an individual must know the other symptoms that are likely to occur during a heart attack. A racing pulse, jaw pain, shoulder pain, breathlessness, nausea, vomiting, cold sweats, excessive sweating, unusual fatigue, lightheadedness, dizziness, and fainting accompanied by heartburn or indigestion are indicative of a heart attack. Heartburn and indigestion not associated with or caused by a heart attack are usually accompanied by chest pain that worsens upon lying down, burning feelings in the throat, difficulty swallowing, and an acidic taste in the mouth.

8. Unusual Fatigue

An individual having a heart attack may experience unusual fatigue. Unusual fatigue occurs when there is not enough energy being produced by the cells that make up an individual's tissues to meet the demand of their body. Cells require a constant and adequate supply of glucose and oxygen to produce usable cellular energy or ATP. During a heart attack, the heart is not receiving an adequate supply of blood. This malfunction causes the heart to be unable to pump blood at a normal rate, reducing the amount of oxygenated blood that can reach all of the body tissues. Without enough oxygenated blood, the cells are not able to produce the quantity of ATP needed to carry out normal functions. As a result of the shortage of usable cellular energy from a heart attack, the body allocates the nutrients and energy it does have away from the peripheral muscles to the vital organs. This reallocation of nutrients and cellular energy causes an affected individual to feel unusually fatigued having a heart attack.