 [ Symptoms ] how long do symptoms of a heart attack last [ Disease ] this is a very good question thank you for asking it many people visualize a heart attack the way hollywood portrays it a person suddenly clutches his chest and falls unconscious to the floor that sometimes happens but often heart attack signs and symptoms are more subtle the signs and symptoms of a heart attack include pain or discomfort in the chest this can include feelings described as aching  crushing  squeezing  painful  pressure  or some other word for discomfort  pain or discomfort that radiates into the jaw or arm area pain or discomfort in the mid back area women experience this more often than men the back discomfort may feel like a muscle spasm that will not go away sudden shortness of breath sweating anxiety nausea or vomiting fainting heart attacks are caused by loss of oxygen flow to the heart muscle this can be caused by a blocked artery it is important to note the chest pain that normally accompanies a heart attack may clear up within a few minutes this does not mean you should not get emergency medical treatment it does not mean your possible heart attack has gone away  very often people have small heart attacks several times before a big one hits them if you or a loved one have any signs or symptoms of a heart attack even if they clear up within a short period of time you should seek medical attention wishing you well