Symptoms, and their severity, vary a lot. Chest pain is probably the most common symptom, often described as a squeezing or crushing feeling. The pain may radiate to other areas, such as the jaw or down an arm. When I had a heart attack I had mild chest pain. It was mild enough I did not think it was likely to be a heart attack. Other common symptoms are sweating, nausea and difficulty breathing. When I had a heart attack I had no nausea and no difficulty breathing. I was sweating for no obvious reason. Since I had two symptoms of a heart attack I went to the emergency room to be safe. By the time I got out of the hospital I had had triple bypass surgery. I did not feel any panic, probably because I did not really think it was a heart attack.