Heart attacks are one of the main killers of men in the western world with coronary heart disease the number one cause of death in the United States period. For this reason it pays to be able to spot the symptoms of a heart attack to stand the best chance of getting help before its too late. We all have a basic knowledge of what signs to look out for, and yet misdiagnosis is still common and results in hundreds of unnecessary deaths each year – as well as hundreds of hours of time wasted by health workers exposed to frantic middle aged men with indigestion. So what precisely are the heart attack symptoms in men?

The first thing to identify is the chest pain itself. Commonly we mistake muscle spasms in the intercostal muscles (between the ribs), shooting pains and heartburn and indigestion for heart attacks. Heart attacks however are easily distinguishable from these non-serious complaints. Firstly, while muscle spasms and shooting pains create short, sharp pain; heart attacks cause a duller, tight ‘squeezing’ sensation in the chest.

Secondly, though it may seem counterintuitive, the pain caused by heart attacks are experienced in the centre of the chest as opposed to the left or right sides. The reason for this is that while the heart is situated to the left of the chest, the nerves that carry signals to and from the brain are situated in the centre. Thus, one of the main heart attack symptoms in men is a dull, tight, squeezing pain in the centre of the chest which might feel akin to having someone pressing on your rib cage. If the pain is short and sharp and situated to one side of the chest or in the gut then there is no cause for alarm.

Making the distinction easier still, heart attacks will also cause several other sensations in the upper body. The first of these is the famed ‘tingling’ of the arm – usually left – and pain travelling around the upper body into the shoulder, neck and/or jaw. While these are not present in one hundred percent of cases, they are common symptoms nonetheless.

Other heart attack symptoms in men include shortness of breath, tiredness and sweating. This can leave the sufferer feeling ‘heavy’ and sluggish. Combined with squeezing, crushing pain in the centre of the chest and any tingling, pain or numbness travelling around the arm, shoulder and neck you can be pretty certain you’re experiencing the first signs of a heart attack. That said many heart attacks occur that do not display all of the classic symptoms or warning signs. ‘Silent heart’ attacks for example will give little to no warning that they’re occurring and so require a far keener eye to identify. As a general rule though it’s always better to go to the doctor and find you’ve got indigestion (no matter how embarrassing that is) than it is to stay at home and suffer a heart attack.

Mack LeMouse

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