Heart attack
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What are the symptoms of a heart attack?
Feeling a bad pain in your chest is the most common sign that you're having a heart attack. If you have severe chest pain and you're not sure what is causing it, don't waste time. Call 911. Acting quickly might save your life. At the hospital, doctors can run tests and treat you right away.

Not everyone has bad chest pain
Not everyone who has a heart attack has bad chest pain. Some people have mild pain at first. Some have no pain at all. If you don't have pain, it's not easy to tell if you're having a heart attack. You might not know you need medical help. Up to one-quarter of all people who have a heart attack don't realize they've had one.1

There are other warning signs, such as having mild pain in your chest, arms, back, neck, jaw or stomach. If you know about these it can help you decide if you're having a heart attack. It's worth learning about these symptoms, especially if you've already had a heart attack or if your doctor has told you you're at risk of having one.

Below you'll find a list of the most common symptoms of a heart attack. You can click on the links to find out more.

Once you get to the hospital, tests can tell doctors whether you're having a heart attack. If you are, they'll probably do more tests later to find out what type of heart attack you've had. To learn more, see Tests for a heart attack.

Warning signs of a heart attack
You can also learn How to tell the difference between a heart attack and other pain.

After a heart attack
Many people make a full recovery after a heart attack. But some people continue to have health problems. These may include:



Sources for the information on this page:
  1. Panju AP, Hemmelgarn BR, Guyatt GH, et al. Is this patient having a myocardial infarction? Journal of the American Medical Association. 1998; 280: 1256-1263.
This information is for educational use only, and is not a substitute for prompt professional medical advice. Readers should always consult a physician or other professional for advice and treatment.