Final answer:
Chest pain lasting longer than 5 minutes can be a sign of an acute myocardial infarction or unstable angina, both of which require immediate medical attention. Symptoms may include pain radiating to the arm or jaw, sweating, and shortness of breath.
Step-by-step explanation:
If a person is experiencing chest pain that lasts longer than 5 minutes, it is important to consider that this may be indicative of a serious medical condition such as an acute myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack. Angina pectoris is a term describing this type of chest pain which may strongly suggest a myocardial infarction, especially if it is associated with other symptoms such as difficulty breathing, nausea, or sweating.
Women, in particular, may experience subtler symptoms that vary from men, which in the past has led to misdiagnoses. An individual presenting with chest pain and other symptoms like radiating discomfort to the arms, neck, or jaw, sweating, shortness of breath, or nausea should be evaluated for coronary heart disease and other related conditions.
This scenario may describe unstable angina, which signifies a possible imminent heart attack requiring immediate medical attention. Notably, some MIs occur without noticeable symptoms, referred to as a 'silent myocardial infarction.'