Shortness of breath as a heart attack symptom often occurs at the same time as chest discomfort, but it can also occur before chest discomfort.

 

Other heart attack symptoms may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea and vomiting, abnormal heartbeats, or feeling light-headed or dizzy.

 

It is possible that a person may also experience other vague heart attack symptoms. These types of symptoms are more common in women and include:

 

Heart attacks can occur at any time, day or night, although they tend to occur more frequently during the early morning, within a couple of hours of waking. About half of the time, in hindsight there is some heart attack trigger, such as emotional stress, physical exercise, or an illness.

 

Summary of Heart Attack Symptoms

The possible heart attack symptoms explained above are not sure signs of a heart attack. Other medical conditions can cause similar symptoms; however, a heart attack is a life-threatening event. Given the potentially serious complications, if you experience any of these possible symptoms of a heart attack, call 911 immediately for help. Also, if your angina pain does not go away as usual when you take your angina medicine as directed, call 911. Prompt treatment of a heart attack can help prevent or limit lasting damage to the heart and can prevent sudden death.