What are the signs and symptoms of heart disease?

What are the signs and symptoms of heart disease?

The most common warning signs and symptoms of heart disease are:

  • Discomfort or severe pain described as crushing pressure in the middle or left side of your chest.
  • The pain extends into the left jaw, left arm, back or stomach
  • Shortness of breath
  • A cold sweat
  • Nausea
  • Lightheadedness

These symptoms may or may not occur with exertion. They might even wake you up from sleep.

If you feel any of these signs and symptoms, you may be having a heart attack.

If you or someone you know experiences one or more of these signs, don’t wait longer than five minutes to call 9-1-1. Get to a hospital right away.

Calling 9-1-1 is the quickest way to get help that can save your life. When emergency staff arrive, you will receive treatment immediately — much sooner than if you try to get to the hospital by car. Don’t try to drive yourself unless you can’t get to a telephone, or have nobody to drive you.

You may not have all these symptoms. Symptoms will not always be severe. Women are less likely to have severe chest pain. Many people dismiss symptoms as heartburn, intestinal gas, or muscle strain. They find out later it was heart disease. If you have any questions about symptoms, call your doctor.

To learn more:

Warning Signs of a Heart Attack
(American Heart Association)
Warning Signs of a Heart Attack provides a good overview of the signs of a heart attack. It includes what steps to take if someone is having a heart attack and provides a list of related publications and links.
http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/WarningSignsofaHeartAt
tack/Warning-Signs-of-a-Heart-Attack_UCM_002039_Article.jsp
Heart Attack: Symptoms
(American Academy of Family Physicians)
This is a clearly written patient handout from familydoctor.org, a site sponsored by a not-for-profit medical association. For a person wanting to find about heart attacks, what to do if you or someone you know appears to be having a heart attack, and how to avoid them.
https://familydoctor.org/condition/heart-attack/
Heart Attack Symptoms in Women
(medicinenet.com)
This page explains how women’s symptoms for heart disease differ from symptoms in men.
https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=19561

next » How do I find out if I have heart disease?

Written by: Doris Wisher, M.L.S.
Reviewed by: Jim Hernandez, L.M.S.W.
Last Modified: Monday October 09, 2017 10:19 AM