How to Know if Left Arm Pain is Related to a Heart Attack

Notice how long the pain lasts. If you feel pain in your left arm for a short period of time (just a few seconds), it’s unlikely to have anything to do with a heart attack. Likewise, if the pain persists for a long time (say days or even weeks), the symptom has nothing to do with cardiovascular disease. However, in case you have pain in your left arm for a few minutes or hours, it could be a heart attack. If the pain often recurs for short periods of time, be sure to record all of that time and intensity on paper and bring it to your doctor. It is also a way to detect cardiovascular disease and ensure prompt medical care.

• If you feel pain or discomfort when you move your chest (the area between your spine), it may be due to degenerative disc disease of the spine, which is especially common in older patients. This pain is usually not caused by the heart.
• In the same way, if the pain occurs after you do intense exercise with your arms, then of course it’s just muscle pain. Review your daily routine and see what actions are likely to aggravate the problem?

Consider whether your left arm pain has something to do with angina. Angina usually occurs when there is a lack of blood flow to the heart muscle. ^[9] This pain often causes you to feel spasms and pressure. And you’ll also feel a sharp pain in your shoulder, chest, arm, back, or even neck. It also feels similar to indigestion. ^[10]

• Although angina that causes pain only in the left arm is not typical, it can happen.
• Angina is often severe or can flare up as a result of stress – whether it’s physical stress (like trying your best to do something, like climbing an airplane flight), or pressure. mentally (such as after a stressful discussion or disagreement at work). ^[11]
• If you suspect you may be experiencing angina, it is important to see a health care provider as soon as possible. ^[12] While this condition is not as life-threatening as a heart attack, you still need to be diagnosed and treated appropriately.

Watch for other symptoms. Regarding pain in your left arm, you should make a note of any other areas of your body where you feel pain. This is considered one of the most accurate ways to tell if your left arm pain has something to do with a heart condition (and whether it’s serious). A heart attack is often accompanied by: ^[13]

• Angina is sudden and sharp, even radiating down the left arm. You may have pain in both arms. However, the left arm is often more pronounced because it is closest to the heart.
• Pain and tightness in the jaw area and usually lower jaw pain. You may have pain on one or both sides of your jaw.
• Pain radiates down the shoulder. At this point, you will feel like something is heavy and the pressure is on your shoulders and around the chest area.
• Dull back pain due to the appearance of pain in the chest, jaw, neck, and arms.
• Note that a heart attack can also appear “silent,” meaning you still have a heart attack, but the pain isn’t too severe.

Check for pain associated with neck movement. ^[14] If the pain gets worse every time you move your neck or upper back, cervical spondylosis may be the main cause of this pain. This is considered one of the most common causes of left arm pain. More than 90% of patients over the age of 65 have signs of cervical spondylosis. As the human body ages, gaps and cracks in the bones will affect the spinal discs (especially the area around the neck). When the disc becomes dehydrated and does not retain its flexibility, this is when cervical spondylosis has a chance to progress. This condition is more likely to get worse with age because your back has deteriorated by now.

• Moving your neck and upper back muscles can help you pinpoint the cause of your pain. If you move more and you feel pain, then you may have cervical spondylosis.
• A heart attack usually doesn’t get better or gets worse with movement or pressure on the back or neck.

Check for pain when you move your shoulder. ^[15] If pain in your left hand flares up when you move your shoulder, this could be a symptom of shoulder arthritis. Many patients experiencing this condition often go to the medical center with the fear that they are having a heart attack. In fact, this is a disease that can destroy the outer covering (bone cartilage) of bones. Once the cartilage layer disappears, the protective space between the bones will simultaneously decrease. During movement, the bones tend to rub against each other, and are the cause of your shoulder or left arm pain.

• While there’s still no definitive cure for shoulder arthritis, there are other treatments that can help ease your pain. If this describes your situation, don’t worry too much. It sounds serious, but the progression of the disease can be stopped.

Check to see if you have nerve damage. If the arm loses the necessary function, there is a high chance that this is related to nerve damage. ^[16] The brachial nerve usually occurs in the spinal cord in the lower cervical region, and forms a bundle of nerves, also known as the brachial plexus. This plexus splits, and is what causes the brachial nerve to appear. The hand nerve will damage from shoulder to hand with varying degrees of pain, but usually your arm will lose some function (such as numbness, tingling, or decreased ability to function). move). Arm pain may be related to nerve damage and has no association with heart disease.

Check blood pressure and heart rate. If these two factors are slightly affected, then the cause may be peripheral artery disease. This condition is caused by atherosclerosis and is common in smokers. ^[17]

• To find out exactly if this is the culprit or not, you should quickly see your doctor. Checking your blood pressure and heart rate can help answer your questions.