8 Real People Explain Exactly What Having a Heart Attack Feels Like

Beth Ann Mayer
·7 min read

If you've watched enough TV, you've likely seen a character have a heart attack. The scene usually plays out similarly: the person clutches their chest and lunges forward. The idea that heart attack pain originates in the chest is obvious—that's where your ticker is, after all.

However, someone in the U.S. has a heart attack about every 40 seconds, and their experiences and symptoms vary. Many people told us that the chest wasn't the only area they felt pain, if they felt anything there at all. Others reported chest pain was their biggest tip-off, highlighting the importance of understanding and flagging numerous heart attack signs.

We spoke with eight people, and a difference in arm feelings was the top sign people mentioned—and luckily, they can describe their heart attack symptoms because they received care. To help you and your loved one, we also summarized common heart attack signs and symptoms, and how and when to seek help.

Related: 'I Almost Died of a Heart Attack at 48—This Is the First Symptom I Wish I'd Paid Attention To'

What a Heart Attack Felt Like, According to Survivors

1. Arm pain (and sometimes armpit pain) and numbness

"There was quite a bit of tightness, not only in the chest but my arms as well," says Chris Prewitt, who was 48 when he had a heart attack and received treatment with Cleveland Clinic. "I had substantial pain in my bicep and tricep area. It was a really uncomfortable pain—one that wouldn't have allowed me to stumble through the day."

Another man also sought care after experiencing arm pain, though he initially thought he was having indigestion when he had his first of three heart attacks in 1999. Mike Coates was 45, in the "best shape of his life" and was eating dinner after working construction on a hot summer day.

"I felt a hot flash as if someone had poured warm water from my head to my toes," Coates says. "It was uncomfortably hot. I started sweating. It persisted for a few minutes, and I figured it had to do with the heat that day, so I took a cool shower. I dried off, but I was covered in sweat. I looked at my arms and saw the beads of sweat. Then, I started having chest pains. It felt like indigestion, almost like a reflux pain in my esophagus, which is right behind the heart. Then I thought it might be reflux because I had a reflux condition."

Fifteen minutes later, he noticed a pain under his left armpit. "I started worrying that it could be something more serious than indigestion," Coates says. "The pain in my chest increased from a two to a five on a scale of 1 to 10. My arm pain intensified. I drove myself to an urgent care clinic."

Ultimately, Coates received care at St. Joseph’s Mercy Hospital in Pontiac, Michigan.

Bob Thompson, the owner and motivational speaker behind WhatBobThinks, also specifically recalls pain in his left arm.

"My left arm went numb but also hurt. It slowly got worse. I had to pull over and quit driving," recalls Thompson, who was 46 when he had a heart attack in 2018. "My girlfriend at the time drove me to the emergency room. There was no chest pain at all. I actually had to ask the doctor if I was really having a heart attack because it was completely different than what you see on TV and in the movies."

S. White, who asked that her full name be withheld, echoed these sentiments.

"I didn't know I was having a heart attack since the symptoms were both familiar and unfamiliar to what I was aware of warning signs," says White. "I felt my armpits throbbing, tingling in both arms, lightheaded and nausea. I couldn't eat anything, and when I drank water, it wouldn't stay down. Something was definitely 'off,' but I didn't know what it was."

White says an EKG and further testing confirmed she had a SCAD (Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection) heart attack, which occurs when the coronary artery wall tears. Though anyone can experience a SCAD, the American Heart Association says it overwhelmingly affects women in their 40s and 50s, often who have little to no risk factors. White was in her 50s.

2. Chest pain

While chest pain isn't the only heart attack sign, it's known as a common symptom for a reason. John Longoria was 64, attended annual physicals and didn't have any known risk factors when he had his heart attack in June of 2023.

"I experienced pain in the middle of my chest that would come and go and intensify," Longoria says. "I experienced sweating, dizziness and nausea. They got me to Memorial Hermann via ambulance in the Texas Medical Center. I was rushed to the Heart and Vascular lab. Dr. Brittany Owen, a cardiologist with UTHealth Houston and Memorial Hermann, and her amazing team were waiting for me."

After leaving the ICU, Longoria attended cardiac rehab at Memorial Hermann for three months.

Another person we spoke with also described chest pain, though not the quick onset kind implied in TV scenes. "I had dull pain across the front of the chest, almost like I had pulled a muscle, and shooting pain into my right jaw and up the back of my neck on both sides about every 10 to 20 seconds," says Amy Perpich, who received treatment at Norton Brownsboro Hospital for a heart attack she had at 45 in 2020.

Related: Want to Prevent Heart Disease? A Huge Study Says This Is the Exact Blood Pressure You Should Aim For

3. Breathing problems

"It felt like my heart took off to sprint a marathon and left my body behind," says Channing Muller, who was just 26 when she had two heart attacks, one in 2011 and one in 2012. "My heart rate skyrocketed. I broke out into a sweat, felt tingly all over my upper body, lost all color in my face and felt nauseous. My heart just kept racing."

Muller could breathe, but she couldn't regulate her breathing.

"I would be able to take one deep breath or a few shorter ones, but nothing consistent," says Muller, who is now 39 and a nine-time marathoner.

Ron Oliver was 59 and at dinner at a barbecue restaurant with his wife when he began having trouble breathing. At first, he thought it was because the place had a pit smoker.

"I abruptly got up and went outside but continued to struggle to breathe," Oliver says.  It was the feeling one has if their head is in a bag— breathing activity is happening, but the feeling of being oxygen starved grows and grows. I also began to sweat."

Oliver didn't have any other symptoms. "No chest pain, no jaw or arm pain—none of the symptoms I was familiar with," Oliver says.

His wife insisted they go to the hospital. Oliver received lifesaving care at Norton Brownsboro Hospital, including an emergency stent.

Related: Cardiologists Say This Fatty Food Is Actually Great for Heart Health

Symptoms of a Heart Attack and What to Do

TL;DR from someone who has been there: "Do not ignore any strange symptoms—they are strange for a reason," White says.

Understanding the various signs and symptoms of heart attack can help, though. The American Heart Association states that quick care can lead to the healthiest outcomes.

According to the American Heart Association, early heart attack signs include:

  • Chest discomfort

  • Other upper-body pain (arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach)

  • Shortness of breath

  • Cold sweats

  • Nausea

  • Lightheadedness

When in doubt, call 911. "Minutes matter," the American Heart Association stresses.

Next up: 'No One In My Family Has Ever Gotten COVID—Here's Exactly What We Do' 

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