Heart attack symptoms; chest pain

Heart attacks happen suddenly, but they normally result from long-standing heart disease. Typically, a waxy plaque builds up on the walls inside your blood vessels that feed the heart muscle. Sometimes a chunk of the plaque, called a blood clot, breaks off and prevents blood from passing through the vessel to your heart muscle, resulting in a heart attack

Most people with heart attacks experience some sort of chest pain or discomfort. But it’s important to understand that chest pains don’t occur in every heart attack.

Chest pain is a common sign of a heart attack. People have described this sensation as feeling like an elephant is standing on their chest.