Heart Attack Symptoms: What Does a Heart Attack Feel Like?

Heart Attack Symptom: Sweating Profusely

The Symptom:
Sweating profusely

Real-Life Story:
Mark Becker said he was definitely feeling anxious when the first sign of his heart attack presented itself in 2004. Nine days after his 43rd birthday, he was in the middle of a conference call at work when he started sweating profusely.

"I was sitting there comfortably cool in a suit, and I just began to sweat like I had just finished a marathon," Mark says. "I asked if anyone else was hot, I tried opening a window, and I stepped out of the room to try to cool down. After about 10 minutes, I knew something was wrong."

Mark had an artery that was blocked 100 percent, and four others that ranged from 60 percent to 80 percent blocked. Because he reached the hospital such a short time after experiencing his symptoms, his heart was undamaged by the attack.

Doctor's Notes:
When a person is having a heart attack, the body will experience a release of adrenaline called the fight-or-flight response. Curtis Rimmerman, M.D., compares this adrenaline rush to how you feel when someone pops out from behind something and scares you.

"Your body is in a kind of panic response," he says. "The patient will sweat, either a little or a lot."

What You Can Do:
Recognize excessive, out-of-place sweating as a sign of a heart attack. Visit the emergency room immediately.