Common heart attack signs and symptoms include: Pressure, tightness, pain, or a squeezing or aching sensation in your chest or arms that may spread to your neck, jaw or back Nausea, indigestion, heartburn or abdominal pain Shortness of breath Cold sweat Fatigue Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness Heart attack symptoms vary Not all people who have heart attacks have the same symptoms or have the same severity of symptoms. Some people have mild pain; others have more severe pain. Some people have no symptoms, while for others, the first sign may be sudden cardiac arrest. However, the more signs and symptoms you have, the greater the likelihood you re having a heart attack. Some heart attacks strike suddenly, but many people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. The earliest warning may be recurrent chest pain (angina) that s triggered by exertion and relieved by rest. Angina is caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the heart.