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Last updated January 2008

What are the signs and symptoms of heart attack and stroke?

Among the most serious medical emergencies are heart attacks and strokes.  You and your family should know the signs and symptoms of these conditions (see below). DIAL 911 IMMEDIATELY if you suspect one of these emergencies is occurring because every minute saved can enhance the patient’s outcome.

WARNING SIGNS/SYMPTOMS FOR HEART ATTACK:

1. Uncomfortable pain, pressure, a squeezing sensation or stabbing pain in the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back
2. Pain radiating to shoulder, neck, arm or jaw
3. Pounding heart or change in heart rhythm
4. Difficulty breathing
5. Nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain
6. Cold sweats or clammy skin
7. Dizziness
8. A feeling of anxiety or panic
9. Heartburn

A woman’s symptoms of heart attack can be very different from a man’s. They may be more likely to experience:

1. Feeling of breathlessness, often without chest pain of any kind
2. An “unusual” feeling or mild discomfort in the chest or back
3. A burning sensation in the chest, often mistaken as heartburn
4. Pain or tingling in upper back, shoulders, neck or jaw
5. Flu-like symptoms – specifically nausea, clamminess, body aches or cold sweats
6. Unexplained and sudden onset of fatigue, weakness or dizziness
7. Feelings of anxiety

WARNING SIGNS/SYMPTOMS FOR STROKE:

1. Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arm or leg on one side of the body.
2. Tremors or shaking on one side of the body.
3. Sudden dimness or loss of vision, particularly in just one eye.
4. Loss of speech, or trouble talking or understanding speech.
5. Sudden, severe, unexplained headaches.
6. Unexplained dizziness, unsteadiness or sudden falls, especially with any of the previous symptoms.