Six body pain that can indicate a heart attack

A heart attack can strike without warning, but did you know that your body may be sending subtle signals before the attack?

While chest pain is a well-known indicator of a heart attack, there are other body pains that can also be warning signs.

In this blog post, we'll explore six body pains that may indicate a heart attack, and what you can do to reduce your risk. From jaw pain to arm numbness, these silent signals can save your life if you know what to look for.

What is a Heart Attack?

A heart attack happens when the blood flow to a part of your heart gets blocked. Your heart is like a pump that needs blood to keep working, and this blood carries oxygen. If a blockage (usually a clot in a blood vessel) stops the oxygen from reaching the heart muscle, that part of the heart starts to get damaged or die. This can cause chest pain, trouble breathing, or even make the heart stop if its severe.

Think of it like a garden hose: if dirt clogs the hose, water can’t flow to the plants, and they wilt. Similarly, when blood can’t flow to the heart, it struggles. The main cause is often a buildup of fatty stuff (called plaque) in the arteries, which can break open and form a clot.

Data on Heart Attacks

Worldwide

Total Deaths from Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs): According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 17.9 million people die each year from CVDs globally (as of recent estimates). This includes heart attacks and strokes.

Heart Attacks and Strokes: More than 4 out of 5 of these deaths (around 85%, or roughly 15.2 million) are due to heart attacks and strokes. That’s a huge number—millions of people every year!

Younger Deaths: About onethird of these deaths (around 5 million) happen to people under 70, which shows heart problems aren’t just for older folks.

India

Heart Attack Deaths in 2022: India’s National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) reported 32,457 deaths from heart attacks in 2022 alone. That’s up from 28,413 in 2021—a 12.5% increase in just one year.

CVD Share: In 2016, CVDs caused 28.1% of all deaths in India (about 2.8–3.6 million out of 10–12 million total deaths, depending on yearly estimates). Around 80% of these (roughly 2.2–2.9 million) were from heart attacks and strokes.

Trend: Experts say heart attack cases have spiked since COVID19, with some hospitals noting a 15–30% rise, especially in younger people (25–45 years old). India also sees heart attacks about 10 years earlier than in Western countries.

Below is a detailed elaboration of the six body pains that can indicate a heart attack, these explanations dive deeper into how the pain feels, why it occurs, and include supporting data to give a clearer picture.

1. Chest Pain or Discomfort

Chest pain is the hallmark sign of a heart attack, and it’s often what people imagine when they think of this condition. It typically feels like a heavy, squeezing pressure or fullness in the center or left side of the chest, sometimes described as an elephant sitting on you or a tight band being pulled across your torso.

For some, it might burn or ache, lasting more than a few minutes or coming and going in waves. This happens because a blocked coronary artery stops oxygenrich blood from reaching part of the heart muscle, triggering pain signals known as angina.

During a heart attack, this pain intensifies and persists, unlike milder angina that might ease with rest. According to the American Heart Association, 70–90% of heart attack patients experience this symptom, making it the most common clue.

A 2021 study in Circulation backed this up, finding that 80% of confirmed heart attack cases in emergency rooms reported chest discomfort as their main complaint.

It’s the body’s loudest alarm that something’s wrong with the heart, though its intensity and exact feel can vary from person to person.

2. Arm Pain (Especially Left Arm)

Arm pain during a heart attack can catch you off guard, radiating from the chest to one or both arms, though it’s most often the left. It might feel like a dull, nagging ache, a heavy sensation, or even a sharp twinge that makes you wonder if you slept wrong.

This happens because the nerves from your heart and arms share pathways to the brain, so when the heart sends out distress signals due to oxygen deprivation, the brain might confuse it as arm pain a phenomenon called referred pain.

The left arm is more common because of how the heart sits slightly left in the chest, aligning with those nerve routes.

Data from the Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2018) shows that 30–50% of heart attack patients report arm pain, with 40% feeling it in the left arm compared to 10–15% in the right. Women, in particular, might notice it in both arms more often.

In India, where heart attacks are spiking (32,457 deaths in 2022 per NCRB), this symptom sometimes gets brushed off as muscle strain, delaying critical care.

3. Jaw or Neck Pain

Jaw or neck pain might sound unrelated to the heart, but it’s a sneaky sign of a heart attack for many. It can feel like a tight, aching sensation in the lower jaw—sometimes mistaken for a toothache—or a choking, stiff feeling in the neck that makes swallowing tough.

Often, it starts in the chest and creeps upward, catching people by surprise. This occurs because the vagus nerve, which links the heart to the brain, can misdirect pain signals from a struggling heart to these areas, another example of referred pain. It’s especially common in women and can be subtle enough to ignore.

A 2019 study in Heart & Lung found that 20–30% of heart attack patients reported jaw or neck pain, with women more likely to notice it. In India, a 2022 Delhi hospital survey revealed that 25% of younger patients (under 45) mentioned jaw pain as an early warning, a trend that’s rising with younger heart attack cases postCOVID. This odd symptom can be a vital clue if you know to watch for it.

4. Back Pain

Back pain during a heart attack often hides in plain sight, feeling like a dull ache, a stabbing sensation, or pressure between the shoulder blades in the upper back.

It might mimic a muscle pull or strain, but unlike typical backaches, it doesn’t fade with rest or a change in position. This happens because the heart’s pain signals travel through the spinal cord and get “projected” to the back, confusing the brain about where the problem really is.

Women and older adults are more prone to this, and it can be their only pain symptom. The American Heart Association notes that up to 50% of women having a heart attack feel back pain, compared to 15–20% of men.

A 2020 Lancet study found that 1 in 5 heart attack patients globally experienced back pain, often missed because it seems so unrelated. In India, where heart disease claims millions yearly (28.1% of deaths in 2016), this symptom contributes to delayed diagnoses, especially when patients chalk it up to stress or bad posture instead of a cardiac emergency.

5. Stomach Pain or Upper Abdominal Discomfort

Stomach pain tied to a heart attack can trick you into thinking it’s just a bad meal. It often feels like a burning sensation, nausea, or a heavy, bloated pressure in the upper abdomen—right below the ribs—mimicking indigestion, heartburn, or even an ulcer.

Some people even vomit, assuming it’s a stomach bug. This happens because the heart and stomach share nerve connections through the vagus nerve, so when the heart’s blood supply drops, the distress can show up as tummy trouble.

Reduced circulation might also irritate the stomach directly. The European Heart Journal (2021) found that 30–40% of heart attack patients report these stomach related symptoms, and in India, a 2023 Mumbai cardiology conference noted that 35% of cases in urban hospitals were first misdiagnosed as gastric issues.

With India’s heart attack deaths jumping to 32,457 in 2022, this sneaky symptom often delays treatment, especially since it’s easy to pop an antacid instead of calling for help.

6. Shoulder Pain

Shoulder pain during a heart attack can feel like a deep ache, stiffness, or heaviness in one or both shoulders, though the left side is more typical. It might seem like you overdid it at the gym or slept awkwardly, but it often pairs with other signs like sweating or shortness of breath, setting it apart from regular soreness.

This is another case of referred pain, where the heart’s nerve signals spill over to the shoulder area because of shared pathways. The left shoulder stands out due to the heart’s position in the chest.

A 2017 study in Chest revealed that 25% of heart attack patients felt shoulder pain, with 15% citing it as their only pain symptom.

In India, a 2022 AIIMS report found that 20% of younger patients (aged 25–40) reported shoulder discomfort during heart attacks, a group increasingly hit by this condition. Globally, with 17.9 million CVD deaths yearly (WHO), this subtle ache can be a lifesaving hint if recognized in time.

Closing Thoughts

These six pains—chest, arm, jaw/neck, back, stomach, and shoulder—show how tricky a heart attack can be, often masquerading as something less serious. In India, where cases are surging (a 12.5% rise from 2021 to 2022), and globally, where millions die yearly, knowing these signs can make all the difference.

Women, younger people, and those with diabetes might lean toward atypical symptoms, so if any of these hits with sweating, dizziness, or breathlessness, it’s time to act fast!