If you get help during that first hour, your chances of recovery are greatly improved. Yet many people hesitate to get help when they first experience symptoms. They are afraid of the embarrassment of going to the emergency room and finding nothing wrong. Not Always a Symptom A heart attack often starts with mild symptoms that may not be painful. Many victims experience a tightness or squeezing sensation in the chest.
Dizziness can be an early symptom of heart attack.
Better Safe Than Sorry Many of these symptoms can be brought on by digestive disturbances or other less serious conditions. But only sophisticated medical tests can determine for sure if you're having a heart attack. That's why it's important that you get emergency medical help immediately when you experience the warning signs of a heart attack. Don't wait to see if you feel better. Emergency room doctors are used to false alarms - only one in four of those who seek emergency treatment for heart attack symptoms are actually having a heart attack.