Heart attack symptoms for men and women Common heart attack symptoms and warning signs may include: Chest discomfort. This discomfort or pain can feel like a tight ache, pressure, fullness or squeezing in the center of your chest lasting more than a few minutes. These feelings may come and go. Upper body pain. Pain or discomfort may extend beyond your chest to your shoulders, arms, back, neck, teeth or jaw. You may have upper body pain without any chest discomfort. Stomach pain. Pain may extend downward into your abdominal area. Shortness of breath. You may pant for breath or try to take in deep breaths. This often occurs before you develop chest discomfort. Anxiety. You may feel a sense of doom or feel as if you re having a panic attack for no apparent reason. Lightheadedness. You may feel dizzy or feel like you might pass out. Sweating. You may suddenly break out into a sweat with cold, clammy skin. Nausea and vomiting. You may feel sick to your stomach or vomit. Heart attack symptoms in women Women may experience all, none, many or a few of these common symptoms of a heart attack. For women, as for men, the most common symptom of a heart attack is some type of pain, pressure or discomfort in the chest. But women are more likely than men to also have signs and symptoms unrelated to chest pain, such as: Neck, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort Shortness of breath Nausea or vomiting Sweating Lightheadedness or dizziness Unusual or unexplained fatigue