Someone having a heart attack may experience any or all of the following:
- Uncomfortable pressure, fullness or squeezing pain in the center of the chest
- Discomfort or pain spreading beyond the chest to the shoulders, back, neck, jaw, teeth, or one or both arms, or occasionally upper abdomen
- Shortness of breath
- Lightheadedness, dizziness, fainting
- Sweating
- Nausea
A heart attack generally causes chest pain for more than 15 minutes, but it can also have no symptoms at all. It’s important to be aware that symptoms other than chest pain may occur, such as indigestion or persistent neck or jaw pain.
Many people who experience a heart attack have warning signs hours, days or weeks in advance.