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Stay informed about how to protect your heart health and lower your odds of heart disease. [LEARN MORE](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/) - [1What Is a Heart Attack? Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prevention](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/guide/) - [2What Are the Symptoms of a Heart Attack?](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/guide/symptoms/) - [3Heart Attack Causes and Risk Factors](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/guide/causes/) - [4Heart Attack Treatment: Medication, Lifestyle Changes, and More](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/guide/treatment/) - [5How to Prevent a Heart Attack](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/guide/prevention/) [SEE MORE](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/) # Heart Attack Symptoms  iStock By [Lindsey Konkel](https://www.everydayhealth.com/authors/lindsey-konkel/) Updated on August 1, 2022 Medically Reviewed by [Michael Cutler, DO, PhD](https://www.everydayhealth.com/authors/michael-cutler/) ON THIS PAGE - [Common Symptoms](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/guide/symptoms/#common-symptoms) - [Silent Heart Attack](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/guide/symptoms/#silent-heart-attack) - [What to Do](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/guide/symptoms/#what-to-do) [Heart Attack]() ON THIS PAGE - [Common Symptoms](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/guide/symptoms/#common-symptoms) - [Silent Heart Attack](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/guide/symptoms/#silent-heart-attack) - [What to Do](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/guide/symptoms/#what-to-do) Heart attack symptoms vary in both type and severity. Your symptoms may be mild and come on slowly over the course of several hours, or they may be sudden and intense. Chest pain or pressure, in particular, can develop gradually and come and go, often getting worse with exertion and better with rest. ([1](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-attack/symptoms-causes/syc-20373106)) While chest pain may be the most common heart attack symptom, not all people experience chest pain during a heart attack. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, there’s evidence that about one-third of people with heart attacks experience no chest pain. People with diabetes and older adults are more likely to experience a heart attack without chest pain. ([2](https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/heart-attack#Signs,-Symptoms,-and-Complications)) Heart attack symptoms in men and women are often different. While the range of symptoms varies, the more symptoms you have, the more likely it is that you’re having a heart attack. (1) If you think you may be having a heart attack, it’s important to take action immediately. This means, above all, calling for emergency help. (1) ## Most Common Symptoms The most common warning signs of a heart attack include the following: ### Chest Pain Most heart attacks involve pain or discomfort in the center or left-center of your chest. This pain can range from mild to severe. The pain may feel like tightness, fullness, heavy pressure, crushing, or squeezing. It can also feel like heartburn or indigestion. Chest pain usually lasts more than a few minutes. Sometimes it goes away and comes back, with exertion making it worse and rest making it better. ### Upper Body Discomfort You may also feel pain or discomfort in your arms, jaw, neck, back (especially between your shoulders), or upper part of your stomach (above your belly button). Sometimes, pain begins in your chest and then spreads to these other areas of your upper body. ### Shortness of Breath You may experience trouble breathing or the sensation of being winded when you’re at rest or doing very slight activity that wouldn't normally cause breathlessness. Outside of chest pain, shortness of breath is one of the most common warning signs of a heart attack. This may be the only symptom you experience, or it can happen before or along with chest or upper body pain. (1,2)   Share Facebook X Pinterest Copy link Symptoms of a heart attack can be different in different people. These are the most common. ## Other Common Symptoms Other common warning signs that may signal a heart attack include: - Light-headedness or sudden [dizziness](https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/10-surprising-facts-about-dizziness-vertigo/) - Cold sweat or clammy skin - Nausea and vomiting - Heart flutter or palpitations (especially in women) - Cough (especially in women) - [Heartburn (especially in women)](https://www.everydayhealth.com/gerd/heartburn-causes-symptoms-diagnosis/) - Sleep disturbances (especially in women) - Anxiety (especially in women) - Extreme fatigue or exhaustion (may occur for days or even weeks leading up to a heart attack, especially in women) (1,2,[3](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16818-heart-attack-myocardial-infarction), [4](https://www.womenshealth.gov/heart-disease-and-stroke/heart-disease/heart-attack-and-women/heart-attack-symptoms)) ## Silent Heart Attack Symptoms Sometimes a heart attack doesn’t cause obvious symptoms. This is known as a [silent heart attack](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/guide/). Still, a silent heart attack may offer some warning signs, even if they’re brief and mild. These typically include variations on classic heart attack symptoms, such as: - Chest discomfort that lasts a few minutes, or comes and goes - Discomfort in your neck, jaw, arms, back, or stomach - Shortness of breath - Cold sweat - Nausea - Light-headedness ([5](https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-danger-of-silent-heart-attacks)) Silent heart attacks are more common in women than in men. (4) ## What to Do During a Heart Attack A heart attack is a medical emergency. The faster you get to a hospital, the better your chances of surviving the heart attack and minimizing damage to your heart muscle. Even if you’re not sure your symptoms indicate a heart attack, you should seek emergency medical care. Never worry about a false alarm or causing anyone embarrassment. Follow these steps if you or someone around you is having heart attack symptoms: ### Call 911 Immediately Don’t wait more than five minutes before calling for help. If you take nitroglycerin for chest pain that comes on with exertion and goes away with rest, take it immediately. If your chest pain doesn't go away within five minutes, call 911. An ambulance is the best way to get to the hospital, since you can be monitored and start treatments while on your way. If you cannot call 911 for some reason, have someone drive you to the hospital. Never drive yourself unless there is absolutely no other choice. (1,2) ### Chew One Aspirin if Recommended After you call 911, the operator may tell you to take an aspirin. Aspirin may help to slow or reduce clotting and blockage around the site of a ruptured plaque deposit in your artery. This can limit damage to your heart and help save your life. But aspirin won't cure a heart attack or make your symptoms go away, so never delay calling 911 to take an aspirin. You may be told not to take aspirin if you take a medication that can interact with it. (1,2) ### Sit Down and Stay Calm Try to relax and remain calm while you wait for help to arrive. If you’re at home alone, open the front door and sit on the floor near the entrance. This will help the paramedics easily find you in case you lose consciousness before the ambulance arrives, and give them a flat surface on which to begin CPR if necessary. ### Note the Time If you’re able to do so, record the time your heart attack symptoms began and what you were doing when they started. This information may help the doctors treating you when you reach the hospital. *Additional reporting by Quinn Phillips.* Meet Our Experts [See Our Editorial Policy](https://www.everydayhealth.com/editorial-policies/) [Meet Our Health Expert Network](https://www.everydayhealth.com/health-expert-network/)   #### Michael Cutler, DO, PhD ##### Medical Reviewer [Castle Connolly Top Doctor](https://www.everydayhealth.com/mra/castle-connolly-top-doctors/) Michael Cutler, DO, PhD, is a cardiac electrophysiologist at Intermountain Heart Rhythm Specialists in Salt Lake City, Utah. His research interests include understanding the cellular and molecular mechanisms of cardiac arrhythmia, gene therapy for cardiac arrhythmias, neural control of the circulation in sleep apnea, role of exercise in health and disease, and improving the management of cardiac arrhythmias (i.e., atrial fibrillation). He completed his BS and MS in exercise physiology and was a member of the track/cross country team at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City. Prior to attending medical school, Dr. Cutler was an adjunct clinical instructor in the College of Health at the University of Utah and also served on the Utah Governor’s Council on Health and Physical Fitness. He then attended the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth for medical school and for his PhD in cardiovascular physiology. After medical school, Cutler entered the highly selective ABIM Research Pathway physician-scientist training program at the MetroHealth Campus of Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland. During this time, he completed his clinical training in internal medicine, cardiology and clinical cardiac electrophysiology, served as chief cardiology fellow, and received the Kenneth M. Rosen Fellowship in cardiac pacing and electrophysiology from the Heart Rhythm Society. Following residency and fellowship, Cutler accepted a position as an assistant professor of medicine at the MetroHealth Campus of Case Western Reserve University until he joined his current partners at Intermountain Heart Rhythm Specialists. Cutler's research has received meritorious recognition from the American Physiological Society, the American Heart Association, and the Heart Rhythm Society. Cutler has been an author on publications in journals such as *Circulation*, *Circulation Research*, *Proceedings of the National Academy of Science*, and *Nature*. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and clinical cardiac electrophysiology through the American Board of Internal Medicine. [See full bio](https://www.everydayhealth.com/authors/michael-cutler/)   #### Lindsey Konkel ##### Author Lindsey Konkel is an award-winning freelance journalist with more than 10 years of experience covering health, science, and the environment. Her work has appeared online and in print for *Newsweek*, *National Geographic*, Huffington Post, Consumer Reports, Everyday Health, *Science*, *Environmental Health Perspectives*, *UCSF Magazine*, American Association for Cancer Research, and others. She previously worked as an editor and staff writer at Environmental Health News. She holds a master’s degree in journalism from NYU’s Science, Health and Environmental Reporting Program and a bachelor’s degree in biology from College of the Holy Cross. Konkel lives in Haddon Township, New Jersey, with her husband, daughter, three cats, and dog. When she isn't writing, she handles social media and content marketing for a small veterinary clinic she started with her husband, Neabore Veterinary Clinic. [See full bio](https://www.everydayhealth.com/authors/lindsey-konkel/) [See Our Editorial Policy](https://www.everydayhealth.com/editorial-policies/) [Meet Our Health Expert Network](https://www.everydayhealth.com/health-expert-network/)   Sign up for our Heart Health Newsletter\! EDITORIAL SOURCES Everyday Health follows strict sourcing guidelines to ensure the accuracy of its content, outlined in our [editorial policy](https://www.everydayhealth.com/editorial-policies/). We use only trustworthy sources, including peer-reviewed studies, board-certified medical experts, patients with lived experience, and information from top institutions. Sources Additional Sources 1. Heart Attack. [Mayo Clinic](https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-attack/symptoms-causes/syc-20373106). **May 21, 2022.** 2. What Is a Heart Attack? [National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute](https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/heart-attack#Signs,-Symptoms,-and-Complications). **March 24, 2022.** 3. Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction). [Cleveland Clinic](https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/16818-heart-attack-myocardial-infarction). **August 11, 2021.** 4. Heart Attack Symptoms. **[Office on Women’s Health](https://www.womenshealth.gov/heart-disease-and-stroke/heart-disease/heart-attack-and-women/heart-attack-symptoms). February 17, 2021.** 5. The Danger of ‘Silent’ Heart Attacks. [Harvard Health Publishing](https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-danger-of-silent-heart-attacks). **November 3, 2020.** RELATED ARTICLES [See all in Heart Attack](https://www.everydayhealth.com/heart-attack/?view=all "See all in Heart Attack") [My Partner Had a Widowmaker Heart Attack — Here’s How I Saved Him](https://www.everydayhealth.com/columns/my-health-story/my-partner-had-a-widowmaker-heart-attack-how-i-saved-him/)  Heart AttackMy Partner Had a Widowmaker Heart Attack — Here’s How I Saved Him Medically Reviewed by Chung Yoon, MD \| Mar 23, 2026 [Heartburn or Heart Attack? 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## What to Do During a Heart Attack A heart attack is a medical emergency. The faster you get to a hospital, the better your chances of surviving the heart attack and minimizing damage to your heart muscle. Even if you’re not sure your symptoms indicate a heart attack, you should seek emergency medical care. Never worry about a false alarm or causing anyone embarrassment. Follow these steps if you or someone around you is having heart attack symptoms: ### Call 911 Immediately Don’t wait more than five minutes before calling for help. If you take nitroglycerin for chest pain that comes on with exertion and goes away with rest, take it immediately. If your chest pain doesn't go away within five minutes, call 911. An ambulance is the best way to get to the hospital, since you can be monitored and start treatments while on your way. If you cannot call 911 for some reason, have someone drive you to the hospital. Never drive yourself unless there is absolutely no other choice. (1,2) ### Chew One Aspirin if Recommended After you call 911, the operator may tell you to take an aspirin. Aspirin may help to slow or reduce clotting and blockage around the site of a ruptured plaque deposit in your artery. This can limit damage to your heart and help save your life. But aspirin won't cure a heart attack or make your symptoms go away, so never delay calling 911 to take an aspirin. You may be told not to take aspirin if you take a medication that can interact with it. (1,2) ### Sit Down and Stay Calm Try to relax and remain calm while you wait for help to arrive. If you’re at home alone, open the front door and sit on the floor near the entrance. This will help the paramedics easily find you in case you lose consciousness before the ambulance arrives, and give them a flat surface on which to begin CPR if necessary. ### Note the Time If you’re able to do so, record the time your heart attack symptoms began and what you were doing when they started. This information may help the doctors treating you when you reach the hospital. *Additional reporting by Quinn Phillips.*