Heart Attack Signs Every Woman Should Know

Shortness of breath

One study found that 42% of women having a heart attack had shortness of breath.

Although men also have this symptom, women are more likely to have trouble breathing without concurrent chest pain, says Sharonne Hayes, MD, founder of the Women's Heart Clinic and a cardiologist with the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn.

The difficulty breathing is usually sudden and may come on for no apparent reason and in the absence of exertion.