Stroke vs. Heart Attack: Know the Signs & Symptoms

Heart attack symptoms in women

It’s important to note that women may experience different heart attack symptoms than men.

• Pain/discomfort, pressure or squeezing in the chest area (women may feel discomfort lower down in the chest than men)

• Shortness of breath

• Unexplained fatigue or lack of endurance

• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach

• Breaking out in a cold sweat

• Nausea/vomiting

• Lightheadedness

⚠️ As with men, the most common heart attack symptom in women is chest pain. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms — particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Stroke symptoms in women

The acronym BE FAST was created to help people remember the most common stroke symptoms.

• Balance problems, dizziness, and/or loss of coordination

• Eye trouble, including blurred vision and difficulty seeing out of one or both eyes

• Face drooping or numbness on one side of the face

• Arm weakness or numbness in one arm

• Speech difficulty, including inability to get words out and slurred speech

• Time to call 911 if a person shows any of these symptoms, even if they go away

⚠️ Sometimes people have a mini stroke (transient ischemic attack), where symptoms resolve in minutes or hours as opposed to being long-lasting. These symptoms must be taken care of right away because a mini stroke is often a precursor to a full stroke.