What are common symptoms of myocardial infarction (heart attack)?

Myocardial infarction, commonly known as a heart attack, typically presents with a specific set of symptoms that reflect the underlying pathophysiology of decreased blood flow to the heart muscle. The most common symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, nausea, and sweating.

Chest pain is often described as a feeling of pressure, squeezing, or fullness in the center or left side of the chest. This sensation may radiate to the arms, back, neck, or jaw. Shortness of breath may occur either with or without chest discomfort, as the heart struggles to pump adequate blood due to ischemia. Additionally, patients may experience nausea, which can stem from the pain signals sent to the brain and can be further exacerbated by the stress response of the body. Sweating is also a classic symptom, often resulting from the body's acute stress response during a myocardial event.

The other options list symptoms that are not typically associated with a heart attack. For example, lightheadedness and headache can occur in various conditions but are not specific to myocardial infarction. Similarly, fatigue, dry cough, dizziness, fever, palpitations, bloating, abdominal pain, and rash are not standard indicators of a heart attack. These can be more