Heart Disease Health Center
Chest Pain - Emergencies
Step One
Step Two
Do you have any of the following symptoms that require emergency treatment? Call 911 or other emergency services immediately.
- Chest discomfort or pain is crushing or
squeezing, feels like a heavy weight on the chest, or is occurring with any of
the following symptoms:
- •Sweating
- •Shortness of breath
- •Nausea or vomiting
- •Pain that spreads from the
chest to the back, neck, jaw, upper belly, or one or both shoulders or arms
(see an illustration of
chest
pain
) - •Dizziness or feeling like you are going to faint (lightheadedness)
- •A fast, slow, or irregular heartbeat
- Shock
- Moderate to severe difficulty breathing or severe shortness of breath
- Severe fatigue with any other symptoms of a heart attack
- Angina that has been diagnosed by your doctor but has not gone away after using your home treatment plan
- If the person becomes unconscious, see Rescue Breathing and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) in the topic Dealing With Emergencies.
- If the person is awake, alert, not vomiting, and not allergic to aspirin, have the person chew and swallow 1 adult aspirin (325 mg) or 4 low-dose aspirin (80 mg each) before emergency medical personnel such as paramedics arrive. Be sure to tell emergency personnel that aspirin has been taken.
- Remember it is important to have the person taken to the hospital by emergency personnel because his or her condition may get worse on the way.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
Last Updated:
April 27, 2007
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