Chest Pain
This is the classic warning sign—discomfort or tightness, like an elephant stepping on your chest. The chest pain (also called angina) sets in when you don’t have enough oxygen circulating through your blood and reaching the heart muscle. ‘The pain can radiate to your left arm, and it gets worse if you try to exercise,’ says Dr. Muhlestein. It lasts more than a few minutes or eases up and returns hours later or even the next day, according to the AHA.
Radiating Pain
You may experience pain in less predictable areas of the body as well, says Dr. Muhlestein. These include the stomach, shoulder, back, neck, throat, teeth, and jaw. Women are more likely than men to experience these symptoms, according to the AHA.
