Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSelf-CheckLabs and TestsImagingDifferential DiagnosesWhen to See a ProviderNext in Heart Attack GuideEverything You Need to Know About a Heart Attack
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Self-Check
Labs and Tests
Imaging
Differential Diagnoses
When to See a Provider
Next in Heart Attack Guide
Heart attack diagnosis begins with recognizing the symptoms and seeking prompt medical care. At the hospital, blood tests can look for markers of heart damage, and an electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) can show changes in electrical activity in the heart, another sign of damage or reduced blood flow. Imaging tests can also help with the diagnosis.
Verywell / Emily Roberts
1. Self-Check
Thesigns and symptomsof a heart attack can vary from one person to the next. For some, there may be overt signs with tell-tale symptoms. Others may experience only minor pain similar to indigestion, while others still will have no symptoms untilcardiac arrest(the catastrophic loss of heart function) strikes.
Some heart attacks will occur spontaneously, but there will often be early warning signs that occur hours, days, or even weeks in advance.
Heart attacksymptoms like chest pain (angina) usually last more than a few minutes. The earliest signs may be recurrent chest pressure that comes and goes in waves or a sudden, sharp chest pain that occurs with activity.
In general, a heart attack may cause:
What Are the Signs of Heart Attack in Women?For women, chest pain is the most common symptom. However, women are more likely than men to have other, less specific symptoms, especially nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, back pain, and jaw pain.
What Are the Signs of Heart Attack in Women?
For women, chest pain is the most common symptom. However, women are more likely than men to have other, less specific symptoms, especially nausea, vomiting, shortness of breath, back pain, and jaw pain.
Call 911 or seek emergency care if you suddenly develop symptoms like these, especially if you are older, are overweight, or have diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure.Even if your symptoms are nonspecific, it is best to have them checked.
2. Labs and Tests
Upon arrival at the emergency room, you will be given a physical examination and a battery of tests to not only diagnose acute myocardial infarction (AMI) but also to grade its severity. AMI is defined as an elevation in keycardiac biomarkers(substances in blood consistent with a cardiac event).
Cardiac Biomarkers
Cardiac biomarkers are substances released into the blood when the heart is damaged or stressed. The markers are measurable indicators of heart function that can confirm a heart attack based on the level and timing of the elevation.
The types of blood tests used to diagnose a heart attack include:
High-sensitivity cardiac troponins are now the preferred standard for making a biomarker diagnosis of an acute heart attack.
Electrocardiogram
The procedure involves the connection of a series of electrodes to your chest and limbs. Commonly, 10 electrodes are attached to form 12 ECG leads. Each of the 12 leads reads a specific electrical impulse.
The impulses are broadly classified as:
Changes in the normal ECG pattern can identify numerous cardiac abnormalities depending on which impulses (segments) are affected.
When diagnosing a heart attack, the healthcare provider will specifically look at the ST segment (the portion of the ECG reading that connects the QSR complex to the T wave).
The segment can not only help confirm the diagnosis but tell the practitioner which kind of heart attack you are having:ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI)in whichthe blockage of a coronary artery is complete ornon-ST-elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI),in which there is only a partial obstruction or narrowing of a coronary artery.
3. Imaging
Imaging plays an important role in the diagnosis and characterization of a heart attack. The different techniques can describe the nature of the arterial blockage and the extent of the heart muscle damage.
Among the studies commonly used include the following:
In the days or weeks after your heart attack, you might also have acardiac stress testto measure how your heart responds to exertion. You may be asked to walk on a treadmill or pedal a stationary bike while attached to an ECG machine. If you are unable to engage in physical activity, you may be given an intravenous injection to stimulate the heart in the same way that exercise does.
4. Differential Diagnoses: Conditions that Can Be Mistaken for a Heart Attack
In the same way that a heart attack can be mistaken for other ailments, there are common and uncommon conditions that can be mistaken for a heart attack. In fact, some conditions are so strikingly similar in their symptoms that a battery of tests will be needed to differentiate them.
This process of elimination, known as thedifferential diagnosis, would involve a review of the other possible causes of the cardiac event. Examples include:
How Can You Tell the Difference Between a Heart Attack and Anxiety?A heart attack andanxiety attackcan cause similar symptoms, but they may have subtle differences. Chest pain from a heart attack can radiate to the arm, jaw, or neck while an anxiety attack’s pain is often limited to the chest.A heart attack may feel like pressure, squeezing, aching, or burning pain while an anxiety attack often causes sharp, stabbing pain. Since it’s hard to tell the difference, seek emergency care if you experience any of these symptoms.
How Can You Tell the Difference Between a Heart Attack and Anxiety?
A heart attack andanxiety attackcan cause similar symptoms, but they may have subtle differences. Chest pain from a heart attack can radiate to the arm, jaw, or neck while an anxiety attack’s pain is often limited to the chest.A heart attack may feel like pressure, squeezing, aching, or burning pain while an anxiety attack often causes sharp, stabbing pain. Since it’s hard to tell the difference, seek emergency care if you experience any of these symptoms.
A heart attack andanxiety attackcan cause similar symptoms, but they may have subtle differences. Chest pain from a heart attack can radiate to the arm, jaw, or neck while an anxiety attack’s pain is often limited to the chest.
A heart attack may feel like pressure, squeezing, aching, or burning pain while an anxiety attack often causes sharp, stabbing pain. Since it’s hard to tell the difference, seek emergency care if you experience any of these symptoms.
When to See a Healthcare Provider
Call 911 or seek emergency care if you suddenly develop symptoms of a heart attack—especially if you are older, are overweight, or have diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure. Early treatment for a heart attackcan limit damage to the heart and improve your chances of survival.
Warning signs of a heart attack include:
Even if your symptoms are nonspecific, it is best to have them checked.
Summary
The symptoms of a heart attack can vary from one person to the next. In some people, heart attack symptoms can start suddenly, while in others there may be signs in the days leading up to it. Nausea, vomiting, and jaw pain are commonly experienced in women, but less so in men. All genders commonly have chest pain or pressure that lasts more than a few minutes.
In hospitals, heart attacks may be diagnosed with one or more tests, including blood tests, chest X-ray, echocardiogram, MRI, or angiogram. Many other conditions can cause symptoms that resemble heart attacks, such as anxiety and pulmonary embolism. Get immediate medical attention at the first sign of a heart attack, even if your symptoms seem mild.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.American Heart Association.Heart attack symptoms in women.Gulati M, Levy PD, Mukherjee D, et al.2021AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of chest pain: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2021;144(22). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001029American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.
American Heart Association.Warning signs of a heart attack.
American Heart Association.Heart attack symptoms in women.
Gulati M, Levy PD, Mukherjee D, et al.2021AHA/ACC/ASE/CHEST/SAEM/SCCT/SCMR guideline for the evaluation and diagnosis of chest pain: a report of the American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association Joint Committee on Clinical Practice Guidelines.Circulation. 2021;144(22). doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000001029
American Heart Association.Cardiovascular disease: Women’s No. 1 health threat.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Heart disease facts.
O’Gara PT, Kushner FG, Ascheim DD, et al.2013 ACCF/AHA Guideline for the management of ST-elevation myocardial infarction: A report of the American College of Cardiology Foundation/American Heart Association Task Force on Practice Guidelines.Circulation.2013;127:e362-e425. doi:10.1161/CIR.0b013e3182742cf6
Thygesen K, Alpert JS, Jaffe AS, Simoons ML, Chaitman BR, White HD.Third universal definition of myocardial infarction.Circulation.2012;126:2020-35. doi:10.1161/CIR.0b013e31826e1058
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
