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• Part 1 of 2: Recognizing a heart attack
• Part 2 of 2: Causes not related to the heart

Left arm pain can be caused in a variety of ways, from simple muscle pain to a serious heart attack. Abnormalities of the skin, soft tissue, nerves, bones, joints, and blood vessels in the arm can also cause pain. It is all too easy to conclude heart attack at the slightest pain in the left arm, but chances are there is an entirely different culprit at play. To find out whether your arm pain is the result of a heart attack or not, you need to consider a variety of options and factors that could increase your chances of a heart attack.

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Part 1 of 2: Recognizing a heart attack

1. Pay attention to how long it takes. If the pain in your left arm is brief (a few seconds), it probably won't be caused by your heart. Even if the pain lasts for a long time (days or weeks), it probably has nothing to do with your heart. However, if it takes anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours, it could be a heart attack. If the pain keeps coming back at short intervals, note how long it lasts and how severe the pain is, write it down and take it to the doctor. This, too, could be a sign that something is wrong with your heart, and you should seek immediate medical attention.
   • If the pain develops or gets worse when you move your chest, it may be due to wear and tear on the vertebrae, especially if you are older. This type of pain is usually not caused by the heart.
   • If the pain starts after putting a lot of strain on your arms, it will likely be muscle pain. Pay attention to your daily patterns. What makes it worse?
2. Watch for other symptoms. In addition to pain in the left arm, you should pay attention to whether you feel pain elsewhere. This is one of the most accurate ways to tell if the pain in your left arm is related to your heart or not (and if it is severe). A heart attack is usually accompanied by:
   • Sudden and excruciating chest pain radiating to the left arm. You can feel it in both arms, but the left is usually worse because it is closer to your heart.
   • Pain and stiffness in the jaw, usually in the lower jaw; it can be on one or both sides.
   • Pain radiating to the shoulders, which feels like something heavy is pressing on the shoulders and chest.
   • Dull back pain, caused by pain in the jaw, chest, neck and arm.
   • Mind you, a heart attack can sometimes occur without severe pain.
3. Watch for other symptoms besides the pain. In addition to pain in the arm, jaw, neck, and back, other symptoms may also occur during a heart attack. These include:
   • Nausea
   • Feeling light-headed or dizzy
   • Cold sweats
   • Shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing due to a tight feeling in the chest
   • If you experience any of these symptoms in addition to the pain, see a doctor as soon as possible to see if you are having a heart attack.
4. Call 112 if you experience the above symptoms. If you are unsure about your current condition, it is better to call 112 so that you can be taken to a hospital as soon as possible. Remember that every second counts in a heart attack because your life is at stake.
   • While waiting for the emergency services, you can take 2 children's aspirins to reduce the severity of the heart attack. Aspirin works by preventing further blood clots (because it thins the blood) because a heart attack is caused by a blood clot in the coronary artery (the artery that surrounds the heart).
   • Also take nitroglycerin if you have it while waiting for the ambulance. This can reduce chest pain and relieve symptoms until you get to the hospital (where the doctors can give you other painkillers, such as morphine).
5. Undergo a number of diagnostic tests. If you are suspected of having a heart attack, the doctor will perform all kinds of tests to make the diagnosis. You will receive an ECG (electrocardiogram) to evaluate your heart rhythm; if you have a heart attack there will be abnormalities. Blood is also drawn to indicate the presence of cardiac enzymes that indicate overload of the heart.
   • Depending on your symptoms and how clear the diagnosis is to the doctors, you may need to undergo further tests; an echocardiogram, chest X-ray, angiogram and / or exercise test.
6. Consider whether the pain in your left arm could be related to angina pectoris. Angina pectoris causes pain that occurs when the blood supply to the heart muscle is not good enough. Angina pectoris usually feels like a pinching or pressing feeling; you may feel pain in your shoulders, chest, arms, or neck. You may also feel like you have an upset stomach.
   • While it is atypical to only have left arm pain with angina pectoris, it can occur.
   • Angina pectoris often gets worse with stress - physical stress (such as exhaustion, after walking up the stairs), or emotional stress (after a heated discussion at work).
   • If you are concerned that you have angina pectoris, it is important to see a doctor as soon as possible. It's not as life-threatening as a heart attack, but it does need to be examined and treated.

Part 2 of 2: Causes not related to the heart

1. See if the pain is related to moving your neck. If the pain gets worse when you move your neck or upper back, it could be because of cervical spondylosis, or worn-out neck vertebrae. This is one of the most common causes of left arm pain. More than 90% of people aged 65 or older suffer from worn vertebrae. The pain is caused by small tears in the vertebrae that are caused by old age. Because the vertebrae dry out and shrink, one gets cervical spondylosis. It gets worse with age as the back wears out.
   • By moving the neck and upper back you can determine whether the pain is being caused there. If the pain gets worse with movement, it is likely related to cervical spondylosis.
   • The pain of a heart attack is usually not made worse by movement or by pressing on the spine or neck.
2. Notice if it hurts when you move your shoulder. If the pain gets worse when you move your shoulder, it could be osteoarthritis in the shoulder. Many people who come to the emergency room because they think they are having a heart attack actually turn out to have this condition. In this disease, the smooth layer of cartilage disappears from the bone. Because the cartilage is gone, the protective space between the bones becomes less. When you move, the bones rub together, causing pain in the shoulder and / or left arm.
   • Although there is no definitive cure for shoulder osteoarthritis yet, treatment methods are available to relieve the pain. If you think this is bothering you, don't worry. It sounds serious, but the progression can be stopped.
3. Remember, if you can no longer use your arm, it probably has something to do with your nerves. The nerves of the arm come from the spine through the bottom of the neck and form a bundle called the brachial plexus. This bundle splits, so that nerves enter the arm. Damage to the arm nerves, from the shoulder to the wrist, can cause pain, but usually there is also loss of functions of the arm (such as numbness, tingling or limitation in movement). The pain in your arm can be related to nerves, so it doesn't have to be a heart attack.
4. Check your blood pressure and heart rate. If they are not good, you can also suffer from peripheral arterial disease. This is due to atherosclerosis, and it mainly occurs in smokers.
   • To find out if this is the culprit, you can visit your doctor to have your blood pressure measured and your heart rate checked.
5. Consider alternative diagnoses for the pain in your arm. Think carefully about whether you may have hurt your left arm recently. Maybe the pain is from an accident in which you injured your arm or shoulder. In rare cases, arm pain can also be caused by more serious conditions such as cancer, but this is not common. See your doctor if your arm continues to bother you, especially if you can't find a good explanation for it.