Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack

Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsClassic SymptomsOther SymptomsDifferences in WomenComplicationsWhen to Go to the HospitalFrequently Asked QuestionsNext in Heart Attack GuideWhat Causes a Heart Attack?

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Classic Symptoms

Other Symptoms

Differences in Women

Complications

When to Go to the Hospital

Frequently Asked Questions

Next in Heart Attack Guide

The symptoms of an acuteheart attack, also called amyocardial infarction(MI), can range from telltale chest pain to less obvious indications such as sweating, nausea, fatigue, and/or a sense of impending doom. Heart attacks also can occur without causing any symptoms at all, and these are only diagnosed after the fact—what’s often referred to as asilent heart attack.

What’s more, women tend to experience heart attacks differentlythan men do. Because symptoms can vary dramatically from person to person, it’s important to listen to your body and not ignore any symptoms that are unusual or scary for you. This is especially important for anyone who has or is at risk forcoronary artery disease(CAD).

Verywell / Gary Ferster

Heart attack symptoms

6 Pre-Heart Attack Warning Signs a Month Before

There’s no such thing as a typical heart attack but there are a handful of symptoms that most people experience.

Besides the classic ones, there are other symptoms associated with MI that are less common or may seem unrelated to a heart problem:

Mini Heart Attack: Don’t Doubt Yourself With Suspected Symptoms

Women tend to experience, and respond to, heart attacks differently than men do. They’re more likely to ignore or downplay what they’re feeling (and therefore delay seeking medical treatment) because their symptoms so often are different from or more subtle than the classic ones, according to theCleveland Clinic. Women are more likely to blame stress or anxiety for their symptoms.

However, in one study, more women than men reported seeking medical care for their symptoms prior to hospitalization (29.5%) compared to men (22.1%). Yet 53% of women stated that the provider did not think their symptoms were related to a heart problem, compared to only 37% of men who stated that the medical provider seemed to rule out a cardiac issue.

In one study, women reported initially believing that their heart attack symptoms were due to sleep problems, arthritis,influenza, osteoporosis, and tooth infection, among other unrelated maladies.

Women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, and pain in the jaw, neck, arms, or between the shoulder blades during a heart attack.Among theheart attack symptoms women reportare:

Women and Heart Disease

It cannot be stressed enough that any type of chest pain or discomfort with or without other possible symptoms of a heart attackshould be treated as a medical emergency. The same goes for milder symptoms that don’t seem to have another cause or that seem odd or bring on a feeling ofpanicor anxiety.

Always listen to your intuition about any symptoms you may be feeling and head straight to the emergency department of the closest hospital, or call 911.

Anyone who has one or more risk factors for CAD needs to pay close attention to any sudden, unusual or unexplained symptoms involving the upper half of the body.

Am I Having Heartburn or a Heart Attack?

A Word From Verywell

Most hospitals are geared up to deliver treatment rapidly once a heart attackdiagnosisis clear. Most of the delay in beginning treatment is, in fact, in the hands of the person experiencing the event. Take quick action if you recognize possible symptoms of a heart attack and describe them as such to medical staff. Doctors, nurses, and EMTs will not judge you if it turns out there is another explanation for how you’re feeling. And if you happen to be right, you will receive the treatment you need to stop the event and preserve as much heart tissue as possible.

Asilent heart attackmay not cause any symptoms, or they may be mild and brief. If you do notice mild symptoms, they can include:Discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts a few minutes or comes and goesDiscomfort in the upper back, neck, jaw, arms, or stomachShortness of breathNausea, lightheadedness, breaking out in a cold sweatIf you experience any of these symptoms, seek immediate medical care.

Asilent heart attackmay not cause any symptoms, or they may be mild and brief. If you do notice mild symptoms, they can include:

If you experience any of these symptoms, seek immediate medical care.

What Causes a Heart Attack?

4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lichtman JH, Leifheit EC, Safdar B, et al.Sex Differences in the Presentation and Perception of Symptoms Among Young Patients With Myocardial Infarction: Evidence from the VIRGO Study (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients).Circulation. 2018;137(8):781-790. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.031650.xJackson MN, Mcculloch BJ.‘Heart attack’ symptoms and decision-making: the case of older rural women.Rural Remote Health.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart attack.Harvard Health Publishing.The danger of “silent” heart attacks.Additional ReadingBenjamin EJ, Virani SS, Callaway CW, et.al.Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2018 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2018;137:e67–e492. doi:0.1161/CIR.0000000000000558Body R, Carley S, Wibberley C, et al.The Value of Symptoms and Signs in the Emergent Diagnosis of Acute Coronary Syndromes. Resuscitation. 2010 Mar;81(3):281-6. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2009.11.014Cedars-Sinai.Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction).Cleveland Clinic.Women: Don’t Ignore These 3 Subtle Heart Attack Symptoms.Fanaroff AC, Rymer JA, Goldstein SA, et al.Does This Patient With Chest Pain Have Acute Coronary Syndrome?: The Rational Clinical Examination Systematic Review. JAMA. 2015 Nov 10;314(18):1955-65. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.12735Mehta LS, Becki TM, DeVon HA.Acute Myocardial Infarction in Women: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation.Circulation. 2016;133:916–947. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000351National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart Attack.Thygesen K, Alpert JS, Jaffe AS, et al.Third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction. Circulation. Oct 16, 2012;126:2020–2035. doi:10.1161/CIR.0b013e31826e1058

4 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Lichtman JH, Leifheit EC, Safdar B, et al.Sex Differences in the Presentation and Perception of Symptoms Among Young Patients With Myocardial Infarction: Evidence from the VIRGO Study (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients).Circulation. 2018;137(8):781-790. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.031650.xJackson MN, Mcculloch BJ.‘Heart attack’ symptoms and decision-making: the case of older rural women.Rural Remote Health.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart attack.Harvard Health Publishing.The danger of “silent” heart attacks.Additional ReadingBenjamin EJ, Virani SS, Callaway CW, et.al.Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2018 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2018;137:e67–e492. doi:0.1161/CIR.0000000000000558Body R, Carley S, Wibberley C, et al.The Value of Symptoms and Signs in the Emergent Diagnosis of Acute Coronary Syndromes. Resuscitation. 2010 Mar;81(3):281-6. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2009.11.014Cedars-Sinai.Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction).Cleveland Clinic.Women: Don’t Ignore These 3 Subtle Heart Attack Symptoms.Fanaroff AC, Rymer JA, Goldstein SA, et al.Does This Patient With Chest Pain Have Acute Coronary Syndrome?: The Rational Clinical Examination Systematic Review. JAMA. 2015 Nov 10;314(18):1955-65. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.12735Mehta LS, Becki TM, DeVon HA.Acute Myocardial Infarction in Women: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation.Circulation. 2016;133:916–947. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000351National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart Attack.Thygesen K, Alpert JS, Jaffe AS, et al.Third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction. Circulation. Oct 16, 2012;126:2020–2035. doi:10.1161/CIR.0b013e31826e1058

Lichtman JH, Leifheit EC, Safdar B, et al.Sex Differences in the Presentation and Perception of Symptoms Among Young Patients With Myocardial Infarction: Evidence from the VIRGO Study (Variation in Recovery: Role of Gender on Outcomes of Young AMI Patients).Circulation. 2018;137(8):781-790. doi:10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.117.031650.xJackson MN, Mcculloch BJ.‘Heart attack’ symptoms and decision-making: the case of older rural women.Rural Remote Health.National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart attack.Harvard Health Publishing.The danger of “silent” heart attacks.

Jackson MN, Mcculloch BJ.‘Heart attack’ symptoms and decision-making: the case of older rural women.Rural Remote Health.

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart attack.

Harvard Health Publishing.The danger of “silent” heart attacks.

Benjamin EJ, Virani SS, Callaway CW, et.al.Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics—2018 Update: A Report From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2018;137:e67–e492. doi:0.1161/CIR.0000000000000558Body R, Carley S, Wibberley C, et al.The Value of Symptoms and Signs in the Emergent Diagnosis of Acute Coronary Syndromes. Resuscitation. 2010 Mar;81(3):281-6. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2009.11.014Cedars-Sinai.Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction).Cleveland Clinic.Women: Don’t Ignore These 3 Subtle Heart Attack Symptoms.Fanaroff AC, Rymer JA, Goldstein SA, et al.Does This Patient With Chest Pain Have Acute Coronary Syndrome?: The Rational Clinical Examination Systematic Review. JAMA. 2015 Nov 10;314(18):1955-65. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.12735Mehta LS, Becki TM, DeVon HA.Acute Myocardial Infarction in Women: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation.Circulation. 2016;133:916–947. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000351National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart Attack.Thygesen K, Alpert JS, Jaffe AS, et al.Third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction. Circulation. Oct 16, 2012;126:2020–2035. doi:10.1161/CIR.0b013e31826e1058

Body R, Carley S, Wibberley C, et al.The Value of Symptoms and Signs in the Emergent Diagnosis of Acute Coronary Syndromes. Resuscitation. 2010 Mar;81(3):281-6. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2009.11.014

Cedars-Sinai.Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction).

Cleveland Clinic.Women: Don’t Ignore These 3 Subtle Heart Attack Symptoms.

Fanaroff AC, Rymer JA, Goldstein SA, et al.Does This Patient With Chest Pain Have Acute Coronary Syndrome?: The Rational Clinical Examination Systematic Review. JAMA. 2015 Nov 10;314(18):1955-65. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.12735

Mehta LS, Becki TM, DeVon HA.Acute Myocardial Infarction in Women: A Scientific Statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation.Circulation. 2016;133:916–947. doi:10.1161/CIR.0000000000000351

National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.Heart Attack.

Thygesen K, Alpert JS, Jaffe AS, et al.Third Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction. Circulation. Oct 16, 2012;126:2020–2035. doi:10.1161/CIR.0b013e31826e1058

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