Cardiologist Explains First Sign of Heart Attack, Silent Symptoms: “It Rarely Feels Like Sharp Pain
Heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death across age groups, yet many heart attacks go unrecognised in their early stages. In India alone, thousands of people between 30 and 60 lose their lives to heart attacks every year, according to data from the Indian Heart Association. Experts stress that timely identification of symptoms can make the difference between life and death.
Senior interventional cardiologist Dr Dinesh Raj says the biggest danger lies in misunderstanding how a heart attack actually begins.
The First Warning Sign Most People Miss
According to Dr Dinesh, the first symptom for most individuals is chest discomfort — but not the dramatic, stabbing pain often shown in films. Instead, patients commonly describe a heavy pressure, tightness, or squeezing sensation in the centre of the chest. Some feel a dull ache or fullness that lasts for several minutes or comes and goes.
Importantly, this discomfort is often ignored or mistaken for acidity, indigestion, or muscle strain, delaying emergency care when every minute matters.
Symptoms That Don’t Start in the Chest
A common misconception is that heart attack pain is limited to the chest. Dr Dinesh explains that due to shared nerve pathways, discomfort may appear elsewhere. Warning signs can include unexplained pain in the left arm or both arms, the jaw or neck — often confused with dental pain — or the upper back, particularly between the shoulder blades.
Any sudden, unusual sensation in these areas should not be brushed aside.
Silent and Atypical Symptoms
Dr Dinesh highlights that women, older adults, and people with diabetes are more likely to experience “silent” or atypical symptoms. These may include sudden extreme fatigue, breathlessness without exertion, nausea, or cold sweats — symptoms frequently mistaken for flu or food poisoning.
Our Thoughts
Heart attacks rarely announce themselves loudly. The danger lies in waiting, rationalising, or hoping symptoms will pass. Awareness is the first line of defence. If something feels sudden, unusual, and wrong in the upper body, seeking emergency medical help immediately can save heart muscle — and lives. Listening to your body is not panic; it is prevention.
