What Are the Symptoms of a Heart Attack?

Medically Reviewed by James Beckerman, MD, FACC on June 30, 2023
1 min read

When you have a heart attack, you may have a variety of symptoms, such as a crushing, squeezing, or burning pain in the center of your chest. You may also feel pressure or fullness there. The pain may move to the neck, one or both of your arms, the shoulders, or your jaw.

The discomfort in your chest lasts more than a few minutes. It can get less intense and then return.

Some other symptoms you might have are:

You may not have all of these symptoms. And some people don't have any symptoms, which is called silent ischemia.

If you're a woman, you may have different symptoms than a man. You may not have chest pain, but you could have other symptoms, such as pain high in your belly, jaw, back, or neck. You may also have shortness of breath or fatigue.

Call 911 right away if you or someone else shows signs of a heart attack. Also, get emergency help if:

  • Your chest pain no longer gets better when you take medicine. It could mean you're starting to have a heart attack.
  • Your chest pain becomes more frequent, lasts longer, and gets more severe. As it gets worse, your risk of a heart attack goes up.