{"id":422160,"date":"2026-01-22T04:19:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-22T04:19:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/422160\/"},"modified":"2026-01-22T04:19:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-22T04:19:13","slug":"cardiologist-shares-how-to-identify-1st-sign-of-heart-attack-silent-symptoms-rarely-feels-like-sharp-stabbing-pain","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/422160\/","title":{"rendered":"Cardiologist shares how to identify 1st sign of heart attack, silent symptoms: ‘Rarely feels like sharp, stabbing pain’"},"content":{"rendered":"

Medical professionals and health enthusiasts have been saying it again and again that your heart is one of the most important organs in your body. However, heart disease<\/a> is still the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups. The Indian Heart Association<\/a> reports that in 2020, heart attacks claimed the lives of 19,238 individuals aged 30 to 60, and in 2021, 2,541 deaths were reported among those aged 18 to 30.<\/p>\n

\"ItIt is a common misconception that heart attacks only affect the chest; the first symptom might actually travel or appear in other areas. (Freepik)<\/p>\n

Also Read | Heart surgeon with 25 years of experience shares 3 supplements you should take for your heart health and longevity<\/a><\/p>\n

Therefore, HT Lifestyle spoke with Dr Dinesh Raj, a senior consultant interventional cardiologist <\/a>at HCG Hospitals, Rajkot, to understand the first signs and symptoms of a heart attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to a heart attack, the ‘Hollywood version’\u2014a person clutching their chest and collapsing\u2014is not always how it happens in real life. In fact, many people dismiss the earliest warning signs<\/a> as minor, such as indigestion or muscle strain,\u201d Dr Dinesh highlighted.<\/p>\n

Therefore, understanding the first symptom is vital because, as per the cardiologist, \u201ctime is muscle.\u201d The sooner you recognise what is happening, the more heart tissue you can save.<\/p>\n

The most common first sign<\/p>\n

According to Dr Dinesh, the first indicator for most people is chest discomfort. However, he highlighted that it rarely feels like a sharp, stabbing pain; instead, patients often describe it as:<\/p>\n

A sensation of heavy pressure or squeezing (like an \u2018elephant sitting on my chest\u2019).A dull ache or fullness in the centre of the chest.Discomfort that lasts for more than a few minutes or that comes and goes.The discomfort doesn’t always begin inside your chest<\/p>\n

The cardiologist noted that it is a common misconception that heart attacks only affect the chest. Instead, the first symptom of a heart attack might actually travel or appear in other areas due to shared nerve pathways. Dr Dinesh stated, pay close attention if you feel unexplained discomfort in:<\/p>\n

The left arm: A classic sign, but it can also occur in both arms.The jaw and neck: Often mistaken for a toothache or a sore throat.The back: Specifically between the shoulder blades.The \u2018silent\u2019 symptoms<\/p>\n

Lastly, Dr Dinesh stressed, \u201cWomen, elderly individuals, and those with diabetes are more likely to experience ‘atypical’ symptoms.\u201d For these groups, he pointed out that the first sign might not be pain at all, but rather:<\/p>\n

Sudden, extreme fatigue that feels like you\u2019ve run a marathon while standing still.Shortness of breath without any physical exertion.Nausea or cold sweats, which are frequently mistaken for the flu or food poisoning.<\/p>\n

Lastly, Dr Dinesh shared the \u2018golden rule\u2019 if you ever experience a sudden, unusual sensation from the waist up that feels \u2018wrong\u2019: \u201cDon’t wait to see if it passes. Calling emergency services immediately is the best way to ensure a positive outcome.\u201d<\/p>\n

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Medical professionals and health enthusiasts have been saying it again and again that your heart is one of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":422161,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[201438,15521,201440,97,15520,19966,201439],"class_list":["post-422160","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-1st-sign-of-heart-attack","tag-cardiologist","tag-elderly-individuals","tag-health","tag-heart-attack","tag-heart-attack-signs","tag-heart-attack-silent-symptoms"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=422160"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/422160\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/422161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=422160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=422160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=422160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}