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Chest pain: what are the common causes?
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Which heart symptoms mean you should seek urgent medical help?
There are many symptoms which could be linked to heart problems. BHF Senior Cardiac Nurse Ruth Goss explains which ones to get checked urgently.
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Page updated:
When to call 999?
Call 999 immediately if you or someone else shows signs of a heart attack, stroke or cardiac arrest (see below).
Every second counts. These are life-threatening emergencies that require urgent medical attention.
Key symptoms include:
- Chest pain that feels like a band or weight squeezing your chest.
- Breathing problems - choking or gasping.
- Face drooping, difficulty speaking, arm weakness.
- Loss of consciousness.
Signs you need to seek emergency help
It's important to recognise common signs and symptoms of serious heart problems that develop suddenly and need urgent medical help.
Here is a list of links to the key symptoms of a heart attack, stroke, and cardiac arrest as well as signs of dangerously high blood pressure and worsening heart failure.
Take-home message
This is not a complete list of situations where you may need emergency care.
If you or someone you are with needs urgent medical help, do not delay - call 999.
If someone has had a cardiac arrest, the call handler will talk you through giving CPR.
They can also help you find a nearby defibrillator. You can ask someone else to get the defibrillator and then use it to help restart the heart.
The NHS has further guidance on when to call 999.
Whatever the symptoms, if you feel unable to manage them you should seek medical help.
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