How to Know if You are Having a Heart Attack

If you imagine a heart attack as a sudden, searing pain in your chest, you might not be able to recognize a true heart attack if it happens to you. One can come on suddenly or can begin more gradually over the course of hours. The signs of a heart attack vary, so call for emergency help if you suspect you're experiencing one.

Shortness of Breath

• Shortness of breath is a key sign to look out for, since it can often be a precursor to chest pain and might be your first symptom that you're having a heart attack. You might also have shortness of breath at the same time as chest discomfort. This sign is characterized by a feeling that you can't catch your breath or take a deep breath, causing you to take short panting breaths. Shortness of breath can also be accompanied by dizziness or lightheadedness. Anytime you struggle to breathe, call for emergency help.

Chest Discomfort

• One of the most obvious signs of a heart attack may be discomfort in the center or left side of your chest. It might feel like an ache or a squeeze or like someone is sitting on your chest. The severity of this pain can vary; according to the National Heart Blood and Lung Institute, you might have intense pain or feel something more akin to heartburn or indigestion. Chest discomfort caused by a heart attack will usually either last for more than a few minutes or will go away and come back repeatedly. Some women will have heart attacks without feeling any chest pain, so if you have other symptoms but not this one, don't count out a heart attack.

Other Physical Discomfort

• The chest discomfort caused by a heart attack can extend to other parts of your body as well. You might feel aches and pains spreading throughout your arms, shoulders and neck. The discomfort can also stretch down to the upper part of your stomach and up into your mouth and jaw. Noticing aches in your upper body may help you distinguish between chest pain caused by a heart attack and pain caused by indigestion or heartburn.

Other Symptoms

• You might break out in a cold sweat or feel nauseous or vomit during a heart attack. Extreme fatigue is also a sign of a heart attack, particularly in women, as is clammy skin. Your gut feelings can also help cue you in to a heart attack. If in addition to other symptoms you suddenly feel anxious or are filled with a sense of doom for no apparent reason, you might be experiencing an attack.