Every 43 seconds, someone suffers from a heart attack.

“The unfortunate part is not everyone who has a heart attack will know they’ve had one,” says Kettering Health invasive cardiologist Dr. Syed Ahmed. “We want to educate everyone on the symptoms of a heart attack so we can save many lives by diagnosing a heart attack earlier.”

A heart attack occurs when blood flow to the heart is abruptly cut off or significantly reduced. When this happens, the cells in the heart can be damaged and fail to function properly.

The most common symptom of a heart attack is angina, which is significant chest pain or a feeling of heaviness on the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back. “People often describe this sensation as an elephant sitting on their chest,” says Dr. Ahmed. “This pain and discomfort can also radiate to the jaw, back, and arms due to shared nerve pathways between the heart and these locations.”

Other common symptoms of a heart attack include cold sweat, dizziness, and lightheadedness.

“A fair majority of people will know they are having a heart attack because most people present with the classic symptoms,” says Dr. Ahmed. “However, there is a percentage of the population who will not know they’re having a heart attack when it’s happening.”

Subtle symptoms

Up to 40 percent of all heart attacks are silent—meaning they go undetected.

People who experience uncharacteristic signs of a heart attack are likelier to miss that they’re having one and are less likely to get treatment to prevent a future heart attack.

Abnormal symptoms of a heart attack include excessive fatigue, fainting, and nausea which are easy to miss because they can be attributed to other ailments. “When people experience atypical heart attack symptoms, they may think, ‘I didn’t sleep well, I ate something bad, or I have the flu,’” explains Dr. Ahmed.

Prompt action and prevention

Heart disease is the leading cause of death for men and women in the United States.

Men and women experience classic heart attack symptoms nearly equally; however, women are more likely to miss atypical symptoms. Commonly overlooked symptoms in women include indigestion, fatigue, lower chest and upper abdomen pain, upper back pressure, and shortness of breath.

Knowing the full range of heart attack symptoms and receiving prompt medical attention can positively impact your health in the short and long term.

You can minimize your risk of heart attack by being proactive in your health. “Many of the risk factors for having a heart attack are modifiable,” says Dr. Ahmed.  

Obesity, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, lack of physical activity, and smoking all elevate your chances of having a heart attack.

The good news is that most of these can be improved through lifestyle choices. Working with your primary care provider to maintain optimal health can yield positive benefits in heart function, overall health, and life expectancy.

“Patients are their own best advocates,” says Dr. Ahmed. “They’ve lived in their bodies their entire lives and will know if something is wrong. Listen to your body, and if something is off, seek help.”