WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS?

While some heart attacks are sudden, some start slowly. Find information on common heart attack symptoms, and find out what to do if you experience them.

KNOW THE WARNING SIGNS:

IS IT A HEART ATTACK?

Key Takeaways

HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS ARE DIFFERENT FOR EVERYBODY

Discomfort (squeezing, pressure, fullness or pain) in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or that goes away and comes back is the hallmark of a heart attack.

KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HEARTBURN AND A HEART ATTACK

If the pain seems worse than heartburn or different than what you normally experience, you should call 9-1-1 immediately or get to an emergency room right away.

LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR BODY IS TELLING YOU

You know your body, and you know when something isn’t right. Go with your gut. When it comes to your heart, it’s always better to be safe than sorry.

The way you normally think about how heart attacks happen may not be accurate. Knowing what really happens can be powerful.

Don’t ignore heart attack warning signs

Chest pressure, tightness, and heaviness: Most heart attacks involve pain or discomfort in the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
Extreme fatigue: A sense of unusual or extreme tiredness that lasts for days, or weeks, can be a sign of heart trouble. This symptom can be more common in women.
Fainting and lightheadedness: This sensation can involve dizziness, extreme weakness or anxiety.
Nausea: A feeling of sickness associated with your stomach, but can be heart-related.
Pain in shoulders, neck, jaw, or arms: Report any unusual upper- body symptoms to your doctor.
Shortness of breath with or without chest pain: Heart attack sufferers can have trouble breathing for no apparent reason.
Sweating: This can feel similar to hormonal hot flashes or night sweats.

Is it heartburn, or a heart attack?

The most common sign of a heart attack – for both men and women – is chest pain. But knowing whether the pain is a true warning sign of heart attack or a bout of indigestion may not always be obvious.

If your pain is similar to heartburn, but it seems worse or different than what you normally experience, you should get emergency help. This is especially important if you're experiencing other symptoms such as shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, nausea or pain that moves into your shoulder and arm.

It’s best to pay attention when something does not feel right. It’s better to visit an ER and find out it’s simply heartburn than to ignore the symptoms and find out too late that it’s serious.

Heart attacks in women

Every 40 seconds, someone in the United States suffers a heart attack. In 2020, heart disease killed over 7 times as many women as breast cancer.

While heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States, there are some key differences between genders. Women tend to develop cardiovascular diseases about 10 years later in life than men. Also, women are twice as likely as men to die within the first month after suffering a heart attack.

However, there are many things you can do to help lower your risk of having a heart attack, including being physically active, maintaining a healthy weight, following a healthy diet and knowing your risks.