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    Heart health · 4 min read · Evidence-informed guide

    Heart Attack Symptoms in Women: When to Call 911

    Chest pain or discomfort is a common heart attack symptom for women and men. Women may also experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea, unusual tiredness, dizziness, or pain in the jaw, neck, back, arm, or shoulder. Call 911 immediately for possible heart-attack symptoms.

    Key answer

    The short version

    Chest pain or discomfort is a common heart attack symptom for women and men. Women may also experience symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea, unusual tiredness, dizziness, or pain in the jaw, neck, back, arm, or shoulder. Call 911 immediately for possible heart-attack symptoms.

    Symptoms are not always dramatic

    Heart attack symptoms can be sudden or can come and go. The CDC lists chest discomfort, shortness of breath, discomfort in the jaw, neck, back, arms, or shoulders, nausea, light-headedness, and unusual tiredness among possible symptoms.

    Do not explain away a concerning change

    Indigestion-like discomfort, unexplained fatigue, or breathlessness can have many causes. When symptoms are new, severe, or paired with chest discomfort, it is safer to seek emergency evaluation than to wait for a routine appointment.

    Emergency action

    Call 911 if you think someone may be having a heart attack. Emergency teams can start care on the way to the hospital; do not drive yourself or wait to see if symptoms go away.

    Clinical perspective

    How to think about this

    The safest response to possible heart-attack symptoms is urgency, not perfect self-diagnosis. Symptoms can be subtle, especially when they do not match a person’s expectation of dramatic chest pain, and delay can cost heart muscle.

    Questions worth bringing to a visit

    • Which symptoms should prompt me to call 911 immediately?
    • What risk factors should I review at my next visit?
    • How can I prepare my household for an emergency?

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    Sources

    1. 1. CDC, Heart Attack: Symptoms, Risk, and Recovery

      Common symptoms and immediate emergency guidance.

    2. 2. CDC, Women and Heart Disease

      Women-specific heart-disease context and symptoms.