Classic heart attack symptoms are chest pressure, like an elephant sitting on the chest, with potential shortness of breath, frank sweating out of nowhere or cold sweats. Women may have jaw or tooth pain, shoulder pain, left arm pain or numbness. These may be signs of heart attack, especially if they're not going away or they occur with exercise. Exercise-induced discomfort of these types is definitely a sign that there may be something wrong.
One of the most common symptoms of heart attack is described as chest pain or indigestion, but that pain can also present as upper back pain, jaw pain, or arm pain. The second most common symptom you may experience is shortness of breath, which can be at rest as well as with exertion. The third most common symptom is cold, clammy sweatiness, which can be associated with anxiety, nausea and vomiting. The fourth common symptom is fatigue.
Some of these symptoms can be attributed to other conditions. Feeling extreme tiredness it is at times overlooked or attributed to deconditioning or “age related” by many people, but it could be an indication that the body is oxygen-deprived. Dizziness and palpitations can be attributed to an anxiety attack, but “racing beats” could signal of stress on the heart, which if ignored because of lack of chest pain, can lead to heart damage. Flu-like symptoms can also disguise a heart attack.
The most common symptoms of a heart attack include chest discomfort (often described as pressure, although chest pain can have different qualities); neck, jaw or back pain; nausea; shortness of breath; sweating episodes and dizziness. Many people, however, do not have typical symptoms with a heart attack. Some people exhibit no symptoms at all, in what is called a silent myocardial infarction. This is more common in people with diabetes and in women.
Men and women sometimes display different symptoms when having a heart attack. The most common heart attack symptoms are: chest pain, chest pressure described as vice-like or squeezing, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, breaking out in a cold sweat and shortness of breath. Women often display symptoms of shortness of breath with or without chest pain, pain in one or both arms, jaw or back pain. If you have any of these symptoms that last more than 3-5 minutes you should seek immediate medical attention. You do not have to have all of these symptoms you may only have one or two.
Classic symptoms of a heart attack/myocardial infarction, are an uncomfortable sensation of aching or pressure in the central chest or the epigastrium. This sensation may radiate into the base of the neck, jaws, and one or both arms. Sensation may be felt between the shoulder blades in the back. One may also feel apprehensive and short of breath, along with feeling sweaty and nauseated. Palpitations may occur as well. Obviously, not all patients experience this classic presentation. For some, sudden unexplained nausea and shortness of breath may be the only symptoms. Diabetic patients are somewhat notorious for having atypical symptoms, such as short of breath only.
Symptoms of a heart attack include but are not limited to chest pain or discomfort. Sometimes people having a heart attack experience the following:
- shortness of breath
- nausea/vomiting
- sweating
- back, arm or jaw pain
- excessive fatigue
- lightheadedness
- stomach pain
Women’s symptoms may differ from men’s symptoms.
- Uncomfortable pressure, fullness or squeezing sensation in mid-chest, shoulder jaw or arms
- Irregular heart rate (palpitations)
- Nausea, vomiting
- Sweating
- Pale, ashen skin
- Shortness breath
- Anxiety, sense of impending doom
The chest pain or discomfort may move around and might be felt in a shoulder, arm, neck, jaw or back.
More About this Book
Unofficial Guide to Impotence
A person may describe it as squeezing, tightness, aching or heaviness.
A heart attack can be indicated by any or all of the following symptoms:
- Uncomfortable pressure, fullness or squeezing sensation in mid-chest, shoulder jaw or arms
- Irregular heart rate (palpitations)
- Nausea, vomiting
- Sweating
- Pale, ashen skin
- Shortness breath
- Anxiety, sense of impending doom
The most common signs and symptoms of a heart attack include:
- chest pain or discomfort (pressure, tightness, heaviness, squeezing)
- shortness of breath
- cold sweats, nausea and dizziness
- pain in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw and shoulder
- Chest discomfort, particularly in the center of the chest. It may feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Discomfort can last for more than a few minutes, or it can come and go.
- Unusual pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body, such as the jaw, the neck, the back, the arms (one or both) and/or the stomach.
- Shortness of breath, which can precede or be accompanied by chest discomfort.
- Other symptoms may include a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.
- Chest pressure (fullness of chest, squeezing of chest, pain in center of chest)
- Pain that spreads to the inner side of the left arm
- Pain that radiates to the jaw, upper back or neck
- Pain in the upper part of the stomach
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Sweating
More About this Book
Lifefit: An Effective Exercise Program for Optimal Health and a Longer Life
- chest pain or discomfort
- pain or discomfort in your arms, back, jaw, neck, or stomach
- shortness of breath
- sweating
- indigestion or nausea
- light-headedness
- tiredness or fatigue
If you experience any of these symptoms, seek immediate treatment. Call 9-1-1 or have someone drive you to the emergency room to get checked out immediately. Do not wait to schedule an appointment with your doctor.
This content originally appeared online in "The Patient Guide to Heart, Lung, and Esophageal Surgery" from the Society of Thoracic Surgery.
- Pressure, tightness, fullness and discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or that comes and goes in waves
- Pain or pressure that spreads to the shoulders, between the shoulder blades, neck, upper back, jaw, or arms
- Jaw or throat pain
- Crushing chest pain
- Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing
- Nausea and/or dizziness
- Cold sweat, paleness
- Overwhelming fatigue or weakness
- Abdominal pain
The symptoms of a heart attack are:
- Heavy feeling in the chest
- Pain in jaw, arm, or upper back
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Heat or Sweating
- Indigestion/heartburn
- Unusual fatigue
- Sleep disturbance
- Anxiety
Watch the video to find out from Dr. Oz about all the symptoms of a heart attack and what you should do if you have them.
The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Nor does the contents of this website constitute the establishment of a physician patient or therapeutic relationship. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
Symptoms of a heart attack include a feeling of pressure, squeezing pain, or fullness in the middle of your chest region. This feeling may endure for several minutes. Other symptoms for men include pain radiating from the chest to the shoulder, arm, back, and jaw, having trouble breathing, sweating, nausea, and vomiting. Symptoms of a heart attack manifest differently in women and may include fatigue, clammy skin, abdominal pain, heartburn, and lightheadedness. Although these are common symptoms of a heart attack, not everyone experiences the same symptoms.
During a heart attack, you may also have one or more other symptoms. These include nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath, light-headedness or dizziness, sweating, and discomfort in your arms, neck, jaw, or stomach. The symptoms of a heart attack can come on suddenly or can build over several hours.
The classic symptoms of a heart attack are:
- Chest pain—a squeezing steady pain in the middle of the chest
- Pain in the left arm and hand
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
Although these are the classic symptoms, today most people have only one or two of these symptoms. Sometimes people have very different symptoms, such as:
- Upper abdominal pain
- Neck and jaw pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Dizziness, or a feeling like you might pass out
Men are more likely to experience the classic symptoms of a heart attack. This is less true for women.
More About this Book
Harvard Medical School Heart Disease: A guide to preventing and treating coronary artery disease
It is important to realize your risk for heart disease and the symptoms of heart attack so that you can respond quickly.
Major symptoms of heart attack are:
- Feeling pressure, fullness or pain in the center of the chest for more than a few minutes
- Experiencing an uncomfortable feeling that moves into the neck, jaw, arms, or shoulder
- Having trouble breathing
- Feeling dizzy, sweaty, faint, or nauseous while experiencing an uncomfortable feeling in the chest
These are the major symptoms of heart attack but there are other less common symptoms you should discuss with your doctor, including:
- Abdominal or mid-back pain
- Indigestion
- Extreme fatigue
In the event that you or a loved one experiences any of these symptoms, call 911 or an emergency medical professional for help—even if the symptoms subside after a few minutes.
Sometimes, a blood vessel doesn't close off quickly-the process is gradual, with slow plaque buildup. Chest pain in this process is called anginait often occurs during exercise, when your heart demands more blood flow. It can also happen after having an emotional conversation or a big meal. A person will feel the same type of chest tightness or pressure as in a heart attack, but the chest pain will go away in a few minutes once the physical activity is stopped. Knowing the symptoms of a heart attack or angina is important because acting quickly can save your heart from permanent damage.
- discomfort that spreads from the chest to the shoulders, neck and arms
- pressure or squeezing pain in the chest that may spread into the neck, shoulders and arms
- nausea, breathlessness, sweating or fainting with pain in the arms, chest or neck
- feelings of impending doom
- significant fatigue
- indigestion
- weakness in the arms
- chest pain or discomfort (can feel like pressure, fullness, or squeezing)
- discomfort in upper body (could be an arm, back, neck, jaw, or stomach)
- shortness of breath
- cold sweat
- nausea
- sudden extreme fatigue (without lack of sleep)
(For any chest pain, you should at least take an aspirin with a glass of water in case it is a heart attack-and call an ambulance if the pain persists or you have the other symptoms I mentioned.)
Part of the problem is that heart attacks happen in very different ways-and the discomfort can come and go, which makes it easier to blame it on something else, like digestive upsets.
The pain or discomfort can be unpredictable because the heart itself does not feel pain; it does not have specific pain fibers. The heart's nerves are not sensory nerves. But when something is going wrong with the heart, its nerves may become electrically unstable. And when they cross the spinal column, they may short-circuit other nerves-nerves that connect with your arm, for example, or your chest. And those nerves are the ones that transmit the pain impulses. So your arm aches, or your chest, or your jaw, wherever nerves are shorting out. The brain sometimes also joins the action by stimulating the vagus nerve to cause an upset stomach and a cold sweat.
So remember that half of folks who have heart attacks will not have classic symptoms like you see in the movies. This is especially confusing for women because many people mistakenly believe that men have heart attacks at a higher rate (in fact the numbers are nearly identical). Better to get checked out by a doctor if you are concerned.
More About this Book
YOU: The Owner's Manual, Updated and Expanded Edition: An Insider's Guide to the Body that Will Make You Healthier and Younger
Surprisingly, about one in five people have no knowledge that they are having a heart attack. They may feel ill or weak for a while and put it down to the flu. We call this a "silent heart attack."
There are other conditions that mimic the symptoms of a heart attack. Spasm of the food tube muscle (esophageal spasm), caused by too much stomach acid, can result in similar discomfort, as can gall bladder disease or blood clots in the lungs (pulmonary embolism). In general, it is best to seek medical help immediately when symptoms suggest a heart attack.
Continue Learning about Heart Attack
Important: This content reflects information from various individuals and organizations and may offer alternative or opposing points of view. It should not be used for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. As always, you should consult with your healthcare provider about your specific health needs.