What are the signs of a heart attack?

For both women and men, the most common sign of a heart attack is:

• Pain or discomfort in the center of the chest. The pain or discomfort can be mild or strong. It can last more than a few minutes, or it can go away and come back.

Other common signs of a heart attack  include:
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach
• Shortness of breath (feeling like you can't get enough air). The shortness of breath often occurs before or along with the chest pain or discomfort.
• Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach) or vomiting.
• Feeling faint or woozy .
• Breaking out in a cold sweat.

Women are more likely than men to  have these other common signs of a  heart attack, particularly shortness of  breath, nausea or vomiting, and pain in  the back, neck, or jaw. Women are also  more likely to have less common signs  of a heart attack, including:
• Heartburn.
• Loss of appetite.
• Feeling tired or weak.
• Coughing.
• Heart flutters.

Sometimes the signs of a heart attack happen suddenly, but they can also develop slowly, over hours, days, and even weeks before a heart attack occurs.

The more heart attack signs that you have, the more likely it is that you are having a heart attack. Also, if you've already had a heart attack, your symptoms may not be the same for another one. Even if you're not sure you're having a heart attack, you should still have it checked out.

If you think you, or someone else, may be having a heart attack, wait no more than a few minutes — five at most — before calling 911.