Cardiogenic Shock
Symptoms
The most common symptom people first experience from cardiogenic shock (CS) is low blood pressure due to the heart's inability to deliver enough oxygen-rich blood to the brain and other vital organs. Depending on how quickly your blood pressure drops, you may experience additional symptoms, including the following:
- A weak or irregular pulse
- Severe shortness of breath
- Fast breathing
- Dizziness and/or confusion
- Nausea
- Chest pain or pressure
- Pale, clammy skin
- Cold hands and feet
- Bulging veins in the neck
- Fainting/loss of consciousness
- Abdominal and/or feet swelling
- Decreased or lack of urination
- Poor appetite
- Fever
- Cardiac arrest
Heart attack symptoms
Since having a heart attack is the most common cause of people developing CS, it’s also important to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack so that you can act quickly to seek medical attention. These symptoms include the following:
- Discomfort in your chest, neck, jaw, back, or upper arms that may feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or stabbing pain that lasts longer than a few minutes
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
- A pounding heart or changes in heart rhythm
- Heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and/or abdominal pain
- Breaking out in a cold sweat or clammy skin
- Dizziness or lightheadedness