Heart Attack Warning Signs—Not Always What You Expect

Chest pain. It’s the classic symptom that means “heart attack” to many people. But a study of more than 400,000 people who had heart attacks reveals that about one-third of patients do not experience chest pain.

“Heart attack symptoms can actually be any pain from the stomach to the jaw,” according to Maziar Azadpour, M.D., cardiologist at Salem Hospital. “A person may have only throat pain, or no pain at all, only shortness of breath.”

Warning signs vary
Studies show that certain people are less likely to experience chest pain with a heart attack. These include women, non-Caucasians of either sex, people with diabetes and those who have had a stroke. And patients who experienced chest pain with a previous heart attack may not have it the next time.

Unfortunately, many people are not as familiar with other heart attack warning signs. So they tend to delay getting to a hospital—or don’t go at all—because they think the symptoms they’re experiencing aren’t serious. This contributes to the higher death rate for heart attacks without chest pain.

“There is a limited amount of time in which medical treatment can make a difference to the heart attack sufferer,” Dr. Azadpour stresses. “The more time that passes after the attack, the more the heart muscle is being damaged.”

Recognizing symptoms
A heart attack can cause a wide range of warning signs other than chest pain. These may include:

• shortness of breath
• nausea or vomiting
• back, neck, jaw, or stomach pain
• breaking out in a cold sweat
• dizziness or fainting
• pain that radiates down one or both arms
• anxiety, weakness or a strong feeling of doom

These symptoms are the same as for many other ailments, making it difficult for people to pinpoint the cause. Dr. Azadpour advises that if you begin experiencing these symptoms that are new for you, seek medical advice.

See related story on how women's symptoms may be different.

Maziar Azadpour, M.D.