One of the earliest, and most common warning signs of an impending heart attack is chest discomfort, which may feel like pressure, tightness or burning sensation. While there might not be pain (or minimum pain), some people describe the feeling as “an elephant sitting on the chest.” The discomfort can persist for short periods, or it may appear repeatedly throughout multiple days or weeks. The discomfort mimics heartburn symptoms, but unlike heartburn, this pain can radiate to the shoulders, neck, jaw and arms. This occurs because the heart fails to receive sufficient oxygen-rich blood, due to cholesterol build up in the arteries, making them narrow. The heart pain develops during physical exercise, periods of stress and also occurs when the person remains motionless. Medical evaluation becomes necessary when chest discomfort occurs, because it might indicate angina which leads to heart attacks.
