Heart Attack Symptoms: Know the Signs, Act Fast

Chest discomfort that feels like pressure, squeezing, or a heavy weight—especially if it spreads to your arm, jaw, or back—could be a heart attack. But symptoms aren't always dramatic. Knowing the full range of warning signs and responding immediately can save your life or someone else's.

Critical Warning Signs

• Chest pain or discomfort: Central or left-sided, lasting more than a few minutes, or coming and going. May feel like pressure, fullness, burning, or tightness.
• Pain radiating beyond the chest: Shoulders, arms (especially left), neck, jaw, upper back, or upper abdomen.
• Shortness of breath: Can occur with or without chest discomfort, at rest or with minimal exertion.
• Cold, clammy sweats: Unexplained sweating, often with other symptoms.
• Nausea, indigestion, or abdominal pain: Particularly common in women.
• Lightheadedness, dizziness, or fainting: May signal a drop in blood pressure or arrhythmia.
• Unexplained, overwhelming fatigue: Sudden exhaustion disproportionate to activity.
• Symptoms at rest: Discomfort that occurs without exertion is especially concerning.
• Prolonged or worsening symptoms: If they don't resolve within minutes, treat as an emergency.

Special Considerations

If you have known heart disease, diabetes, high cholesterol, hypertension, or a family history of early heart disease, any new or unusual upper-body symptom should be taken seriously. Women, older adults, and people with diabetes are more likely to experience "atypical" presentations without classic crushing chest pain.

The Golden Rule: When in Doubt, Call 911

Do not wait. Do not drive yourself. Do not take aspirin and hope it passes. Emergency medical services can:

• Perform an ECG en route
• Administer oxygen, aspirin, nitroglycerin
• Alert the hospital to prepare the cardiac catheterization lab
• Resuscitate if cardiac arrest occurs

Every minute of delay increases heart muscle damage. Early treatment preserves heart function and saves lives. If you think it might be a heart attack, make the call. You won't regret a false alarm—you could regret waiting.