Symptoms of Heart Attack

Heart attack symptoms occur in a half million people in the United States per year.

The classic heart attack symptoms in a woman as well as a man are crushing substernal chest pain that lasts a period of minutes that is not relieved with rest or nitroglycerine under the tongue. Heart attack symptoms will not resolve over time. Heart attack symptoms can be in the left chest, right chest, or in the middle of the chest. Pain can occur in the left arm or left hand.

Heart attack symptoms can be characterized as “dull” or “like a weight on the chest”. People can have shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, and become diaphoretic (sweaty). Patients can have palpitations.

Patients can actually have very few classic heart attack symptoms, including lack of chest pain. Sometimes shortness of breath is the only symptom. Heart attack symptoms in a woman can sometimes be atypical. Diabetic patients can also have unusual heart attack symptoms. Any symptom of a heart attack or concern thereof should lead to an immediate medical evaluation. Symptoms of a heart attack should never be ignored. Rapid and immediate medical evaluation is extremely important.

Symptoms of heart attack often do not lead directly to the underlying diagnosis and many symptoms can be misleading. Please review all concerns and information found on this website with your health care provider.