Heart attack symptoms differ from person to person. Some people have mild symptoms. Others have severe symptoms. And some people have no symptoms at all, or a silent heart attack.
Although chest pain or discomfort is the most common heart attack warning sign, there can be other symptoms too. Some people may experience one, or a combination of symptoms, and symptoms can also differ between men and women.
The most common symptoms of a heart attack are:
- Chest pain that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms that can spread to the neck, jaw or back
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- Suddenly feeling dizzy, faint, light-headed or anxious
- Nausea or vomiting
- Cold sweats
- Feeling unusually tired
- Heartburn, indigestion or abdominal pain
- Looking pale
Women are more likely to have silent heart attacks or experience less common and less intense symptoms that can go ignored. Some of the heart attack signs in women include:
- Chest pain that feels more like burning, throbbing or tightness
- A feeling of indigestion or upper tummy pain
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea and vomiting
- Tightness or discomfort in the arms
- Back or jaw pain
- Sweating or breaking out in a cold sweat