Health warning signs.

Health warning signs.

How can your jaw (and other parts of your body)* tell you if you have just experienced a heart attack?

*note: symptoms of a heart attack generally appear/occur on the left side of your body.

If you experience a dull, vague pain on the lower left side of your jaw which increases and decreases over the course of a few minutes, and moves around, this is known as “referred pain”. This pain is associated with a heart attack.

This sensation occurs when the nerves surrounding the heart become agitated, sending pain through the nerves in the spine to other locations in the body, specifically the left jaw, shoulder and arm.**

If your jaw pain happens in the morning, this serves as a warning sign that you’re at risk for a heart attack. Your blood is thicker at this time of the day, which causes blood pressure to surge, increasing heart attack risk.

Pain brought on by physical activity can manifest in several areas including the chest, jaw, left arm and shoulder, a scenario that typically indicates you’re having a heart attack.

Shortness of breath, a common heart attack symptom in women, may also occur. You may also get additional classic heart attack signs such as dizziness or nausea. In this case, see a doctor immediately