Heart attack symptoms: Know what signals a medical emergency

Heart attack symptoms vary widely. The symptoms you experience may be different from those experienced by a relative or neighbor. And similar symptoms may differ in intensity. For instance, you may have only minor chest pain while someone else has excruciating pain. In addition, women often have different heart attack symptoms than men.

One thing applies to everyone, though: If you suspect you're having a heart attack, call for emergency medical help immediately. Don't waste time trying to diagnose the symptoms yourself.

Heart attack symptoms for men and women

Common heart attack symptoms and warning signs may include:

• Chest discomfort. This discomfort or pain can feel like a tight ache, pressure, fullness or squeezing in the center of your chest lasting more than a few minutes. These feelings may come and go.
• Upper body pain. Pain or discomfort may extend beyond your chest to your shoulders, arms, back, neck, teeth or jaw. You may have upper body pain without any chest discomfort.
• Stomach pain. Pain may extend downward into your abdominal area.
• Shortness of breath. You may pant for breath or try to take in deep breaths. This often occurs before you develop chest discomfort.
• Anxiety. You may feel a sense of doom or feel as if you're having a panic attack for no apparent reason.
• Lightheadedness. You may feel dizzy or feel like you might pass out.
• Sweating. You may suddenly break out into a sweat with cold, clammy skin.
• Nausea and vomiting. You may feel sick to your stomach or vomit.

Heart attack symptoms in women

Women may experience all, none, many or a few of these common symptoms of a heart attack. For women, as for men, the most common symptom of a heart attack is some type of pain, pressure or discomfort in the chest. But women are more likely than men to also have signs and symptoms unrelated to chest pain, such as:

• Neck, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sweating
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Unusual or unexplained fatigue

Heart attack symptoms demand emergency help

Some heart attacks have the classic symptoms you see on television or in the movies — where someone clutches their chest and writhes in excruciating pain. Not all heart attacks announce themselves so clearly, though. In fact, most heart attacks begin with much more subtle symptoms — with only mild pain or discomfort. And your symptoms may come and go. Don't be tempted to downplay your symptoms or brush them off as indigestion or anxiety.

Getting treatment quickly improves your chance of survival and minimizes damage from a heart attack. Don't "tough out" these symptoms for more than five minutes. Call 911 or other emergency medical services for help. If you don't have access to emergency medical services, have someone drive you to the nearest hospital. Drive yourself only as a last resort, if there are absolutely no other options.

Related

Heart attack