Health Topics A-Z

What Are the Symptoms of a Heart Attack?

• A crushing, squeezing, or burning pain, pressure, or fullness in the center of the chest. The pain may radiate to the neck, one or both arms, the shoulders, or the jaw. The chest discomfort lasts more than a few minutes or can diminish in intensity and return.
• Shortness of breath, dizziness, nausea or upset stomach, chills, sweating or weak/fast pulse
• Feeling of an irregular heart beat
• Cold and clammy skin, gray facial color
• Fainting or loss of consciousness
• Fatigue

Note: You may not feel all of these symptoms. Some people experience no symptoms — this is called silent ischemia.

Women often have different symptoms of heart attack than men. They may not experience chest pain, but other symptoms and a pain high in the abdomen or chest. Or pain in the jaw, back or neck.

Call 911 Immediately If:

• You or someone you are with shows signs of a heart attack. Seek emergency help without delay.
• Your angina (chest pain) no longer responds to medication; this may indicate that a heart attack is under way.
• Your angina attacks become more frequent, prolonged, and severe; as angina worsens, the risk of heart attack increases.

• You are taking aspirin to prevent heart attack and your stool appears black and tarry. This may indicate gastrointestinal bleeding and could be a sign that aspirin has thinned your blood too much, a problem that can and should be corrected.