What to Do If Someone Has Chest Pain or Heart Attack Symptoms
Learn what to do during chest pain or possible heart attack symptoms, when to call emergency services, aspirin precautions, CPR basics, and what not to delay.
When someone develops sudden chest pressure, breathlessness, sweating, nausea, or pain spreading to the arm or jaw, the biggest danger is losing time while everyone tries to decide whether it is really a heart attack.
Emergency guidance focuses on acting first and letting trained professionals work out the cause. If you are wondering what to do during chest pain, seek urgent help through the Emergency Department or local emergency medical services when symptoms suggest a possible heart attack.
Some heart attacks start slowly with mild discomfort, so uncertainty shouldn’t delay emergency assessment. The steps below are for immediate first aid while professional help is on the way. They don't replace assessment or treatment by an emergency team.
Step 1: Call for Emergency Medical Help
When chest pain raises concern for a heart attack or another serious condition, getting medical help quickly matters. Emergency medical teams may begin assessment and treatment during transport, which is why calling emergency services is generally safer than trying to drive the person to hospital yourself.
Call local emergency medical services immediately if chest pain is severe, persistent, keeps returning, or occurs alongside shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, fainting, or discomfort spreading to the arm, back, neck, jaw, or upper abdomen. These symptoms may point to a serious heart problem that needs urgent evaluation.
Calling emergency services rather than trying to drive the person yourself also allows trained responders to assess the person on the way to the Emergency Department and provide treatment when appropriate.
If an ambulance isn’t available, follow the instructions given by the local emergency dispatcher or healthcare professional and use the safest available option for reaching emergency care.
Step 2: Keep the Person Resting and Stay With Them
Once emergency help has been called, keep the person resting and watch for any change in their condition. Staying nearby also helps you give emergency responders useful information when they arrive.
Help the person sit or rest in a comfortable position and avoid unnecessary walking or physical effort.
Loosen restrictive clothing if needed and keep communication calm.
Stay with the person unless you briefly need to call for help or retrieve an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Ask when the symptoms started, what the person is feeling, and whether the discomfort has changed.
Find out whether they have a known heart condition or take prescribed heart medication.
Tell the emergency team what symptoms occurred, when they began, and whether any prescribed medicine was taken.
Watch for changes in breathing, responsiveness, or consciousness while waiting for help.
If the person becomes unresponsive or stops breathing normally, follow the emergency dispatcher’s instructions and begin CPR if advised.
Keeping the person resting, observed, and supported while help is on the way makes it easier to respond quickly if their condition changes and gives the emergency team a clearer picture of what happened.
Step 3: Follow Professional Advice About Aspirin
Aspirin may be recommended in some suspected heart attack situations, but it isn’t suitable for everyone.
The safest approach is to call emergency services first and follow the dispatcher’s instructions about whether aspirin should be taken. Experts also stress that aspirin shouldn’t replace emergency medical care.
Call emergency services before considering aspirin.
Follow the dispatcher’s or healthcare professional’s instructions about whether aspirin is appropriate.
Don’t give aspirin if the person has a known aspirin allergy or has previously been told by a healthcare professional to avoid it.
Don’t give aspirin to someone who is unconscious or unable to swallow safely.
If there is uncertainty about whether aspirin is appropriate, wait for guidance from the emergency team.
Never delay the emergency call while looking for aspirin or deciding whether to take it.
Aspirin may form part of first aid in selected cases, but professional guidance should come first. Calling for emergency help promptly remains the most important action when a heart attack is suspected.
Step 4: If the Person Becomes Unresponsive
A sudden loss of responsiveness may mean the heart has stopped pumping effectively. Checking breathing and starting CPR quickly may help maintain blood flow until emergency responders arrive.
Check whether the person responds when you speak to them or gently tap them.
Look for normal breathing. Gasping or irregular breaths shouldn’t be treated as normal breathing.
If the person is unresponsive and isn’t breathing normally, start CPR immediately.
For a sudden adult collapse, hands-only CPR involves repeated chest compressions in the centre of the chest.
Use an automated external defibrillator (AED) as soon as one is available and follow its spoken instructions.
Continue CPR until emergency help takes over, the person begins breathing normally, or you’re instructed to stop.
Follow the emergency dispatcher’s guidance if you haven’t had CPR training or feel unsure about what to do.
If you have formal CPR training, follow your training and current local emergency guidance.
Quick action matters when someone becomes unresponsive and stops breathing normally. Starting CPR and using an AED promptly may support circulation while emergency medical help is on the way.
What Not to Do During Possible Heart Attack Symptoms
When heart attack symptoms are possible, certain actions may delay treatment or make the situation harder to manage. Avoiding common mistakes helps keep the focus on getting medical care as quickly and safely as possible.
Don’t wait for symptoms to become severe when warning signs already suggest a possible heart attack.
Don’t let the person drive themselves if they have severe chest pain, feel faint, weak, breathless, or otherwise unwell.
Don’t assume indigestion, anxiety, or muscle pain explains new or severe chest symptoms without medical assessment.
Don’t give food, drinks, supplements, or unprescribed medicines in an attempt to treat the symptoms.
Don’t leave an unwell person alone while waiting for help unless you briefly need to call for emergency assistance or retrieve an automated external defibrillator (AED).
The safest response is to take concerning chest symptoms seriously, seek emergency medical help promptly, and follow professional instructions while help is on the way.
What Information Helps the Emergency Team?
Emergency responders may ask several questions to understand what happened and decide what care the person needs.
Having a few key details ready may help them assess the situation more quickly, but gathering information should never delay the emergency call. If available, be ready to share:
When the symptoms started:
Note the approximate time and whether the symptoms began suddenly or developed gradually.
What the person was doing:
Mention whether the symptoms started during physical activity, while resting, after eating, or during another activity.
What the discomfort feels like:
Describe whether the person reports pressure, squeezing, heaviness, burning, or another sensation.
Where the discomfort is located:
Explain where it began and whether it spreads to the arm, shoulder, back, neck, jaw, or upper abdomen.
Other symptoms:
Mention shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, dizziness, weakness, fainting, or any other changes that occurred with the chest discomfort.
Known medical conditions:
Tell the emergency team about heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, previous heart problems, or other relevant conditions.
Current medicines and allergies:
Have a medicine list ready if one is easily accessible, including any prescribed heart medicines and known medication allergies.
Recent medical care:
Mention any recent procedures, hospital stays, surgeries, or significant changes in treatment.
Keep medication lists or relevant records nearby if they are easy to reach, but don’t spend valuable time searching for paperwork. Calling for emergency help comes first, and additional details can be gathered while assistance is already on the way.
What If the Chest Pain Settles Before Help Arrives?
Chest pain that improves before help arrives may feel reassuring, but improvement alone doesn’t confirm that the cause is harmless. Heart attack symptoms may ease and return, so the change should still be reported to the emergency team.
Keep emergency help on the way:
Don’t cancel the call solely because the pain has eased or stopped.
Note when the symptoms changed:
Tell the emergency team when the pain started, how long it lasted, and when it improved.
Mention any other symptoms:
Shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, dizziness, weakness, or spreading discomfort remain important even if the chest pain settles.
Follow professional advice:
Let the emergency dispatcher or healthcare professional decide whether urgent assessment or transfer is still needed.
Arrange follow-up when advised:
If emergency professionals determine that immediate transfer isn’t required, follow their instructions about further medical assessment.
A brief episode of chest pain may still deserve medical attention, particularly when the symptoms were new, unusual, or accompanied by other warning signs. Knowing how to know if chest pain is serious may also help you recognise patterns that need further assessment.
Fast Help Matters More Than Certainty
Chest pain often creates uncertainty, especially when symptoms overlap with indigestion, anxiety, or muscle discomfort. When warning signs suggest a possible heart problem, seeking urgent medical assessment is safer than trying to identify the cause at home.
Possible heart attack symptoms should be assessed through the Emergency Department without waiting for a routine appointment. Emergency assessment helps determine whether the symptoms require immediate treatment, further testing, observation, or another form of care.
Patients who need specialist review after the urgent assessment may be referred to the Cardiology Department or an available cardiologist for further evaluation. Understanding what cardiology covers may also help patients understand why additional testing, monitoring, or follow-up is recommended.
When chest pain feels new, severe, persistent, or different from your usual symptoms, take it seriously. Getting assessed promptly gives healthcare professionals the opportunity to identify the cause and decide what care is needed next.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the first thing to do during chest pain?
Call local emergency medical services when symptoms suggest a possible heart attack. Don't wait to see whether aspirin, antacids, or rest make the symptoms disappear before seeking urgent help.
Should I drive someone with chest pain to the hospital?
Emergency medical transport is preferred when available because the person's condition may worsen and emergency teams may begin care during transport. Follow local dispatcher instructions.
Should everyone with chest pain take aspirin?
No. Aspirin isn't suitable for everyone. Call emergency services first and follow professional advice, especially if the person has an aspirin allergy, bleeding risk, or previous advice to avoid aspirin.
When should CPR start?
Start CPR when the person is unresponsive and isn't breathing normally. Use an AED as soon as one is available and follow emergency dispatcher or device instructions.
Can heart attack symptoms come and go?
Yes. Chest discomfort may ease and return. Improvement doesn't safely rule out a heart attack, so emergency warning signs still deserve urgent assessment.