Time is muscle for your heart. Know the signs of a heart attack.
Everyone knows what a classic movie heart attack looks like—a typically middle-aged man stops suddenly, usually mid-sentence, grabs his chest, and falls over. The reality of the situation, however, is that heart attacks can happen to men and women of varied ages, and often aren’t quite so obvious.
While symptoms can vary from person to person, the most commonly experienced heart attack symptoms are:
- Chest pain or discomfort—Chest pain is the most common symptom of heart attack in both women and men, and is usually felt in the center or left side of the chest.
- Shortness of breath—Particularly pay attention to whether your shortness of breath accompanies chest discomfort or if it occurs when you are at rest.
- Upper body pain or discomfort—This pain or discomfort could occur in your back and shoulders, jaw, upper abdomen, or one or both arms.
- Feeling light-headed or weak—Feeling excessively fatigued or dizzy, especially when experienced along with other symptoms, could be a sign of heart attack.