February 2026

When you think of heart attack signs, chest pain — the most common sign — may come to mind. However, heart attack symptoms can go far beyond chest pain and may affect other parts of your body, making them easier to overlook. You may also feel pain in your arms, back, shoulders, neck, or jaw.

While it’s more common to feel pain on the left side, where your heart is located, heart attack pain can also radiate or travel to the right side of your body. It often lasts 20 minutes or longer, but may also come and go. Recognizing these warning signs and acting quickly can save your life by preventing serious heart damage or death.

Beyond Chest Pain: Other Heart Attack Symptoms

Not everyone who has a heart attack gets sudden chest pain. It’s common for women, older adults, and people with diabetes to have no or mild chest pain, according to MedlinePlus.gov.

Some people may have signs of a heart attack that are mild or less obvious, or get worse over time. These include the following:

• Discomfort in your chest, arms, shoulders, neck, jaw, or upper back: Instead of sharp or severe pain, a heart attack may feel like fullness, squeezing, or uncomfortable pressure in these areas. Some people describe it as a weight sitting on their chest, or as if their arms are carrying a heavy load.
• Fatigue or unusual tiredness: Feeling unusually tired or exhausted for no apparent reason may be a sign of a heart attack.
• Feeling anxious, dizzy, or lightheaded: A heart attack affects blood flow to your brain. When there’s a sudden drop in blood flow to your brain, you may even faint.
• Palpitations: You may feel like your heart is beating too fast or skipping a beat.
• Shortness of breath: Oftentimes, shortness of breath happens with chest pain or discomfort. You may feel like you have trouble breathing. You can also feel short of breath before any chest discomfort happens or even on its own. It’s still one of the major signs of a heart attack.
• Stomach issues: You may have bad heartburn, indigestion, or nausea. You may even start vomiting or throwing up. It’s more common for women to exhibit these heart attack warning signs, but men can also experience them.
• Sweating: You may break out in a cold sweat. Often, the sweating is severe and lasts for a prolonged period.

Call 911 Right Away

If you have one or more of these heart attack symptoms, the American Heart Association recommends calling 911 instead of having someone drive you to the emergency room. The reason: Emergency medical services (EMS) can begin treatment immediately upon arrival. If your heart has stopped, they are also trained and have electric shock/defibrillator equipment to resuscitate you. People who come to the ER in an ambulance may also get faster treatment.

If someone’s heart stops before EMS arrives, you can use cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR. The American Red Cross has CPR steps on its website at www.redcross.org. If there’s an emergency defibrillator nearby, ensure the person is lying down on a firm, flat surface and follow the directions.