In this Q&A, cardiologist Dr. Mohammed Osman with Advanced Cardiovascular Specialists (ACS) explains the warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack, including chest pain, shortness of breath and fatigue. Learn what to look for and when to seek emergency care.

I get asked a lot about symptoms of heart attack. I would say that the classical descriptions when you look at books: heart attack is described as a chest pain, but it’s not always a classical pain. Sometimes it’s just chest pressure or feeling of heaviness in the chest. That’s a classical description for men. Women can present differently. We see a lot of women presenting with shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, just feeling tired or fatigue. All these symptoms can basically be a sign for heart attack.