To explain the variety possible symptoms, we asked survivors to share what they felt when they had a heart attack. Understanding that there’s a wide range just might save your life.
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I had a throbbing pain that started in my back, then traveled up to my neck. Then my jaw started throbbing. It was a like sharp pain that was moving through my body. I actually took Advil hoping it would go away. Then my breathing got labored, like when I was giving birth. I felt like the pain was making it hard for me to catch my breath. Even after the doctors told me it was a heart attack, I was really surprised. I didn’t have the classic heart pain.”
— Gloria, 49
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“I had a bad stomachache, like cramps, but worse. Then I felt sharp shooting pains in my chest. I thought I ate something bad and this was food poisoning, since both my stomach and chest hurt. Then I started to feel off — disoriented and nauseous. When my left arm felt numb, I immediately thought, I’m having a heart attack.”
— Carole, 55
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“I was doing the dishes and I suddenly had pain in both of my arms; it started in the right and then moved to the left and then both arms started to feel numb. I wanted to just lie down and see if it would go away, but my husband insisted in taking me to the hospital. He saved my life.” — Cheryl, 63
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“I felt like I couldn’t breathe. It was the worst feeling. I was suddenly gasping for breath. It was like my lungs just shut down. Then I collapsed.”
— Stan, 71
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“I thought it was heartburn; I’ve had heartburn all my life and it didn’t feel any different — just more intense. I tried taking Tums and lying down, but it wouldn’t go away. Then it started getting more intense and moved from pain to more of a squeezing of my heart. My husband drove me to the hospital and I was surprised to learn it was a heart attack.”
— Doris, 57
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“It’s crazy because I had no heart pain when I had my heart attack. Instead, I felt nausea, like I was going to throw up, and I broke out in a cold sweat. I could feel my face and back pouring with sweat. I started to feel dizzy, like I was going to pass out. My son took me to a walk-in-clinic and they called an ambulance.”
— Marty, 67
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“It felt like something was squeezing my chest. It wasn’t pain, so much as discomfort, strong discomfort. It was like someone was squeezing tighter and tighter.”
— Lily, 82
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“I thought it was acid reflux. I probably wouldn’t have even gone to the hospital, but then I passed out. My husband called 911.”
— Rachel, 63
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“I felt exhausted for over a week. Just really tired and run down. I thought I was coming down with something. I was trying to get more sleep, but still not feeling better. What finally brought me to the hospital was the shortness of breath. I have stairs in my house that I’ve climbed every day for 40 years, and suddenly I couldn’t walk them without feeling winded.”
— Joanie, 67
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“I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like I was going to throw up. I sat up and my left arm felt numb. Then I started to feel mild pain under my left breast. It wasn’t even the pain that got me scared; it was the numbness.”
— Rose, 55
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