Myth: If you're not having chest pain, it's not a heart attack
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Although chest pain and pressure like there's an elephant sitting on your chest is a common sign of a heart attack, it's not the only one—especially for women. (Find out the silent signs of a heart attack.) 'Women are more likely to experience some atypical symptoms, such as shortness of breath, heartburn, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, and neck, back, or arm pain,' says Laxmi Mehta, MD, a cardiologist at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. 'These subtle symptoms can sometimes make it difficult for women to recognize that something may be wrong with their heart.' According to the American Heart Association, symptoms can even seem like the flu, and may lead women to delay getting treatment. One study showed that most of the women who'd had a heart attack didn't recognize their symptoms, and noted that younger women with heart disease are more likely to die in the hospital as similarly-aged men.