The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that every year in the United States, around 805,000 people in the U.S. have a heart attack, with one recorded every 40 seconds. When you think about the warning signs of a heart attack, you likely consider the classic tell-tale symptoms: pain in the chest, shortness of breath, feeling weak or light-headed, and discomfort in the arm. However, there’s another far less well-known but equally commonplace symptom of a heart attack, and a study from the CDC found that more than half of respondents weren’t aware of it. But being on the lookout for it may give you advance warning of something worse to come and could improve your chances of survival. For the full details of this overlooked red flag, read on.
The CDC lists five classic symptoms of heart attack. As well as the four previously mentioned, the fifth less commonly known one is the sudden onset of pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back. Other symptoms can include unexplained tiredness, nausea, or vomiting, with the CDC warning that “women are more likely to have these other symptoms.”
