Only half of adults recognize the five most common heart attack symptoms. That leaves many people who don’t know the most common signs, much less other unexpected symptoms.
Dr. Laura Fernandes and our team at Woodlands Heart & Vascular Institute prioritize teaching people about the signs of heart problems and when to seek medical care.
Getting treatment for a heart attack within one hour can limit the extent of the damage and improve your recovery. That’s why it's essential to recognize all the signs of a heart attack, whether well-known or surprising.
Let’s begin with the typical signs, then explore the unexpected symptoms, including silent heart attacks.
While chest pain is the top sign of a heart attack, one in three people don’t experience chest pain. Your chances of having chest discomfort are lower if you’re a woman, age 75 or older, have heart failure or diabetes, or had a previous stroke.
The type of chest pain varies in each person. The pain usually occurs in the center or left side of your chest but it could be severe, mild, sharp, or aching. The pain might stay constant, rapidly intensify, or come and go. Instead of pain, some people feel intense chest pressure.
One sign you can depend on: No matter how you experience chest pain, it will not improve if a heart attack causes it.
Other common symptoms
After chest pain, the four most common heart attack symptoms include:
You may have one or more of these symptoms with or without chest pain.
Women are more likely than men to experience the following heart attack symptoms, but they can appear in anyone:
You may feel exhausted in the days or weeks before having a heart attack. For many, fatigue appears suddenly and is often intense, worse than they would expect if it was due to work or life stress.
Referred pain is discomfort that originates in one body area that you feel in another location. You can feel heart pain in your abdomen. As a result, the pain of a heart attack may cause stomach pain and nausea.
A cold sweat alone isn’t dangerous. But breaking out in a cold sweat (sweating even though you feel cold) signals an underlying health condition, such as:
These conditions all need prompt medical care. If any other heart attack symptoms accompany your sweating, call 911 for emergency attention.
Some people experience a sudden, unexplainable feeling of anxiety or impending doom. This feeling may occur as your brain responds to reduced blood flow to your heart (the cause of heart attacks).
The brain interprets the signs of a potentially life-threatening event and releases hormones that trigger your sense of doom.
The American Heart Association reports that one in five people who have a heart attack have no symptoms or minimal symptoms that don’t seem like they’re related to the heart — a silent heart attack.
Most people recall having symptoms that were too mild to raise red flags about a heart problem. They remember having heartburn, indigestion, or flu-like symptoms. Some thought they pulled a muscle or were tired due to their busy schedule or lack of sleep.
It’s crucial to be aware of these subtle signs so you can schedule a health checkup. Having a silent heart attack damages the heart muscles and increases your risk of congestive heart failure and strokes.
Don’t hesitate to seek medical help with any questions or worries about your symptoms. Healthcare providers always take signs of a heart attack seriously. They run diagnostics to check your heart and be sure you’re not having an attack.
You can also protect your health and prevent a heart attack by scheduling a cardiology risk assessment. We take care of essential testing in the office, such as electrocardiograms (EEGs) and echocardiograms.
After completing your assessment and evaluating diagnostic tests, we can tell you if you’re at risk for heart problems. Then, we work with you to create a plan to lower risk and prevent cardiovascular disease.
Call Woodlands Heart & Vascular Institute or complete the online form to request an evaluation.
