When to Call a Doctor

Call or other emergency services immediately if you have any of the following symptoms:

• Chest pain that has not gone away within 5 minutes after you have taken one nitroglycerin and/or rested. After calling , continue to stay on the phone with the emergency operator. He or she will give you further instructions. See how to take nitroglycerin.
• Chest pain or discomfort that is crushing or squeezing, feels like pressure on the chest, and lasts more than 5 minutes, especially if it occurs with any of the following symptoms:
  • Sweating
  • Shortness of breath
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Pain that spreads from the chest to the neck, jaw, or one or both shoulders or arms
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness
  • A fast or irregular pulse
  • Signs of shock

Women are more likely to have symptoms such as shortness of breath, heartburn, nausea, jaw pain, back pain, or fatigue.

After calling or other emergency services, you should chew 1 adult-strength aspirin (325 mg) or 2 to 4 low-dose (81 mg) aspirin if you are not allergic to aspirin or unable to take aspirin for some other reason. By calling and taking an ambulance to the hospital, you may be able to start treatment before you arrive at the hospital. If any complications occur along the way, ambulance personnel are trained to evaluate and treat them.

If an ambulance is not readily available, have someone else drive you to the emergency room. Do not drive yourself to the hospital.

If you witness a person becoming unconscious, call or other emergency services and start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). The emergency operator can coach you on how to perform CPR. For more information, see the CPR section in the topic Dealing With Emergencies.

Contact your doctor immediately if you have new, more frequent, or severe episodes of chest pain or discomfort, which may mean that you have an increased risk for a heart attack.

Talk to your doctor if you have:

• Chest pain or discomfort for the first time with features similar to those of coronary artery disease. See the Symptoms section of this topic.
• Episodes of chest pain or discomfort and your work involves responsibility for the lives of other people (for example, if you are a pilot, bus driver, or sole caregiver for small children).

Never wait if you have symptoms of a heart attack

Many people are unsure whether they are having a heart attack, and so they take a "wait and see" approach. Heart attack symptoms often vary. People often discount their symptoms if they do not fit into the expected "extreme chest pain" scenario. Some people are embarrassed or don't want to bother others by calling for help if they think it may not be a heart attack. Even if you're not sure it's a heart attack, you should still have it checked out. Rapid treatment can save your life.

Who to See

To see if you are at risk for heart disease, have symptoms of coronary artery disease, or require long-term care for existing heart disease, see your family doctor or internist. For diagnosis of coronary artery disease, you may see a cardiologist. For ongoing care of stable angina, you will likely see your family doctor or an internist. For surgical intervention, you will be referred to a cardiovascular surgeon.