A heart attack can cause chest pain that comes and goes in some cases. This pain usually feels like pressure or heaviness, lasts for more than 20 minutes, does not change with body position, and may spread to the jaw or left arm.
In addition to chest pain, a heart attack can cause symptoms such as:
- Heavy sweating;
- Shortness of breath;
- Nausea and/or vomiting;
- Abdominal pain;
- Dizziness or fainting.
However, heart attack symptoms may be somewhat different, especially in older adults, women, and people with a history of diabetes, high blood pressure, or heart failure, for example.
In addition, even if the chest pain is not caused by a heart attack, frequent chest pain during exercise or physical exertion and/or chest pain associated with other symptoms may still indicate a heart problem.