If you or someone near you might be having a heart attack, call your local emergency number immediately. Do not drive yourself to the hospital.

Key warning signs

  • Chest pain or discomfort: pressure, heaviness, tightness, squeezing, or pain in the center or left side of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or comes and goes.
  • Pain spreading to other areas: discomfort in one or both arms, shoulders, neck, jaw, back, or upper stomach.
  • Shortness of breath: can occur with chest pain or on its own, sometimes before chest discomfort.
  • Cold sweat: suddenly breaking out in a cold, clammy sweat.
  • Feeling faint or dizzy: lightheadedness, feeling weak or like you might pass out.
  • Nausea or vomiting: feeling sick to your stomach, indigestion-like discomfort, or actually vomiting.
  • Unusual tiredness: sudden, unexplained fatigue, which can be especially common in women.
  • Sense of doom or anxiety: a strong feeling that something is very wrong, sometimes like a panic attack.

How it can feel (quick scenarios)

  • Someone clutches the center of their chest, saying it feels like “an elephant sitting on my chest,” and the pain starts moving into their left arm and jaw. They’re sweaty and short of breath.
  • A person, especially a woman, feels sudden extreme fatigue, nausea, shortness of breath, and back or jaw pain, but only mild or no chest pain. They think it’s “just indigestion” or stress.

In recent years, health agencies have repeatedly warned that many people still ignore or misinterpret these symptoms and delay calling emergency services, which can be deadly because every minute of delay means more heart muscle damage.

Men vs women: symptom differences

  • For both: chest discomfort is still the most common symptom.
  • Women are more likely to also have:
    • Shortness of breath
    • Nausea, vomiting, or upset stomach
    • Pain in the back, neck, jaw, or shoulder
    • Unusual tiredness or weakness
    • Symptoms that are more subtle or that start gradually

When to get help

Call emergency services immediately if:

  1. You have sudden chest discomfort (pressure, squeezing, pain) that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
  1. You have chest discomfort plus any of:
    • Shortness of breath
    • Pain in arm, jaw, neck, back, or stomach
    • Cold sweat, nausea, or feeling faint

Do not wait to see if it goes away, do not try to “tough it out,” and do not drive yourself if you can avoid it—emergency responders can start life‑saving treatment on the way.

Bottom note: Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.