The 3 early signs you’re having a heart attack and must call 999

BRITS have been urged to know the signs you could be in the early stages of a heart attack.

Catching the condition quickly is essential to making sure you can recover better.

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While a heart attack can cause cardiac arrest, they are two very different things, but often confused with each other.

A new campaign from the NHS found three in four people thought they are the same condition.

And less than half of those asked said they would call 999 if they or a loved one had some of the lesser known heart attack symptoms.

Early indicators you could be having a heart attack are sweating uneasiness and chest tightness.

Experts have urged Brits to call for help if they think they are having a heart attack.

NHS medical director, Professor Stephen Powis, said: “Sadly, cardiovascular disease causes a quarter of all deaths across the country and we have identified this as the single biggest area where we can save lives over the next decade.

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“This new NHS campaign will be a vital tool in that lifesaving mission - helping people to recognise when they or someone around them is experiencing a heart attack and when to seek early medical help cannot be underestimated. 

“It can be easy to dismiss early symptoms as they don’t always feel severe, but it is never too early to dial 999 in this circumstance – and the faster you act, the better the chance of a full recovery.”

There are more than 80,000 people going to hospital for heart attacks in England every year.

The overall survival rate for people experiencing a heart attack is seven in 10, increasing to nine in 10 for those who get to hospital early. 

NHS research also shows that whilst 70 per cent of people asked understood that chest pain is a symptom of a heart attack, just 41 per cent knew sweating is too. 

Symptoms of a heart attack can include: 

• chest pain – a sensation of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across the chest 
• pain in other parts of the body – it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm is affected, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and tummy (abdomen) 
• feeling lightheaded or dizzy 
• sweating 
• shortness of breath 
• feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting) 
• an overwhelming sense of anxiety (similar to having a panic attack) 
• coughing or wheezing 
• Although the chest pain is often severe, some people may only experience minor pain, similar to indigestion. While the most common symptom of a heart attack in both men and women is chest pain, women are more likely to experience other symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.

A heart attack occurs when the supply of blood to the heart becomes blocked, which can starve it of oxygen potentially causing serious muscle damage.

A cardiac arrest is different - it usually occurs suddenly and without warning with the person quickly losing consciousness.

Their heart stops, they will have no pulse and sadly people experiencing a cardiac arrest will usually die within minutes if they do not receive treatment. A heart attack can lead to a cardiac arrest.

Peter Dale, a presenter on Sky Sports’ Soccer AM, had a heart attack at 36. He said: “I had no idea that I was experiencing symptoms of a heart attack at the time.

"On the morning of the attack, I went home after playing football thinking I had indigestion – I just didn’t feel quite right and both of my arms started to feel numb. 

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“I managed to text my mum who called an ambulance and only when the paramedics arrived did I realise this was a heart attack.

“People need to be aware of the symptoms – it’s not a case of clutching your chest and falling to the ground – early signs aren’t always severe but if you experience any symptoms, call 999. Acting quickly saved my life.”