Five Minutes or Less for Health Weekly Tip: Learn the Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack
A person’s chances of surviving a heart attack increase if he/she seeks and receives emergency treatment as soon as possible. It's important to recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and act quickly. If you think that you or someone else is having a heart attack, call 911 immediately.
Take a few minutes to learn the major signs and symptoms of a heart attack:
- Chest pain or discomfort
- Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, arms, shoulders, or stomach
- Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint
- Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs and symptoms that a person may have during a heart attack include:
- Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach) or vomiting
- Breaking out in a cold sweat
- Lightheadedness
Learn More
Heart Attack Signs and Symptoms
Million Hearts: Preventing Heart Attacks and Strokes
This site contains documents in PDF format. You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to access the file. If you do not have the Acrobat Reader, you may download a free copy from the Adobe Web site.
Page last modified: December 27, 2012
Page last reviewed: December 27, 2012