You may experience a general ache, heaviness or pressure around one or both of your shoulders. This discomfort may spread from your chest to your shoulder(s). You may feel pain, discomfort, heaviness or uselessness in one or both arms. This may also feel like numbness or tingling.
Symptoms can be different for men and women
For men: Pain will spread to the left shoulder, down the left arm or up to the chin. For women: Pain can be much more subtle. It may travel to the left or right arm, up to the chin, shoulder blades and upper back — or to abdomen (as nausea and/or indigestion and anxiety).
“I understand that heart attacks have beginnings and on occasion, signs of an impending heart attack may include chest discomfort, shortness of breath, shoulder and/or arm pain and weakness. These may occur hours or weeks before the actual heart attack.
Sudden left shoulder pain can sometimes be a sign of a heart attack. Call 911 or your local emergency number if you have sudden pressure or crushing pain in your shoulder, especially if the pain runs from your chest to the left jaw, arm or neck, or occurs with shortness of breath, dizziness, or sweating.
Typical heart attack symptoms
This discomfort may come and go. Upper body pain. Pain or discomfort may spread beyond the chest to the shoulders, arms, back, neck, teeth or jaw. Some people have upper body pain with no chest discomfort.
In men, the left arm pain will move from the shoulder down the left arm or up to the chin. If the pain comes on suddenly and is unusually severe, or is accompanied by pressure or squeezing in the chest, seek emergency treatment immediately. In women, the pain can be subtler. It can radiate to the right or left arm.
A completely blocked coronary artery will cause a heart attack. The classic signs and symptoms of a heart attack include crushing chest pain or pressure, shoulder or arm pain, shortness of breath, and sweating.
JOI Identifies 5 Shoulder Symptoms You Should Not Ignore
Persistent shoulder pain that intensifies with use. Shoulder Pain that keeps you from sleeping or awakens you. Stiffness and/or the inability to raise your arm above your head. Numbness, tingling or burning sensation.
Call your health care provider if you have: Shoulder pain with a fever, swelling, or redness. Problems moving the shoulder. Pain for more than 2 to 4 weeks, even after home treatment.
Body pain – depending on where the pain is, it could be the result of a different heart-related condition. Pain in the upper body, including the arms, back, shoulders, neck, jaw or abdomen, are often warning signs of a heart attack.
Heart attack signs and symptoms in men and women: Chest pain or discomfort; Shortness of breath; Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, arm, or shoulder; Feeling nauseous, light-headed, or unusually tired.
SMI warning signs
It can feel like an uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, or pain. Discomfort in other upper-body areas, such as one or both arms, the back, the neck, the jaw, or the stomach. Shortness of breath before or during chest discomfort. Breaking out in a cold sweat, or feeling nauseated or lightheaded.
It's not clear how heart disease might relate to shoulder pain, or vice versa, but lead researcher Dr. Kurt Hegmann of the University of Utah School of Medicine notes that the area around a rotator cuff tear, for example, has poor blood supply, which suggests risk factors may impair blood flow.
You or someone else has symptoms like: central chest pain or discomfort in the chest that doesn't go away – it may feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing. pain that radiates down the left arm, or both arms, or to the neck, jaw, back or stomach.
When to Call 9-1-1. In some women, the first signs and symptoms of heart disease can be: Heart attack: Chest pain or discomfort, upper back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, extreme fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
Red flags include: Trauma, pain and weakness, or sudden loss of ability to actively raise the arm (with or without trauma): suspect acute rotator cuff tear. Any shoulder mass or swelling: suspect malignancy. Red skin, painful joint, fever, or the person is systemically unwell: suspect septic arthritis.
A rotator cuff impingement happens when there is irritation, inflammation, or compression of the tendons or bursa (the fluid-filled sac that sits between bones) in the shoulder. An impingement can be caused by an injury, but it can also just result from general wear and tear from daily life.
One way is to move your arm in different directions and see if it hurts. If it hurts a lot when you move it, then your injury is most likely severe. You can also try to lift your arm all the way up above your head and see if that hurts.
If one has also been experiencing ongoing severe shoulder pain for more than 2 to 4 weeks even after trying home treatment remedies, they should bite the bullet and get themselves over to an ER.
You should see an orthopedic doctor if your elbow or shoulder pain: lasts more than four weeks, does not start feeling better within two to four weeks, or. gets progressively worse day to day or week to week.
Chest pain, discomfort in your legs, and heart palpitations can be warnings signs of clogged arteries or other serious health conditions. An angiogram is a quick, minimally invasive test that allows us to see inside your heart and arteries.
A health care provider might use an electrocardiogram to determine or detect: Irregular heart rhythms (arrhythmias) If blocked or narrowed arteries in the heart (coronary artery disease) are causing chest pain or a heart attack.
You may not always feel pain; instead you may feel tightness, heaviness, cramping, or weakness in your arm. Other symptoms of arm artery disease include finger pain, sensitivity to cold in your hands, fingers that turn blue or pale, and lack of a pulse in your wrist or your hand.