He shared some lesser-known symptoms of the medical emergency to look for12:49, 29 May 2026A doctor warned that an “unusual” symptom in the shoulder could be a sign of a life-threatening medical emergency. According to the expert, this is also more likely to affect women than men.‌A heart attack, which is also known as a myocardial infarction, is a potentially deadly medical emergency that occurs when blood flow to a part of the heart muscle is suddenly blocked. Therefore, spotting the warning signs and calling 999 as soon as possible is vital.‌Many of us are aware of some of the more common signs of a heart attack, such as chest pain and breathlessness. However, there are some lesser-known signs - many of which are more likely to occur in women.‌Speaking on the Lorraine show, Doctor Amir Khan explained more. He warned that shoulder pain is one sign you might miss.He said: “Now, it's important to say that women and men both get crushing chest pain and shortness of breath when it comes to heart attacks and those are important symptoms, call 999. But women are more likely to get atypical, unusual symptoms of a heart attack as well - shoulder pain being one.”‌He detailed why men and women might experience different symptoms. “And the reason is with men with a heart attack, they're more likely to get a complete blockage of one of the main arteries of the heart.Content cannot be displayed without consent“But with women, it usually happens as blockages of many small arteries of the heart. So it can affect more of the heart and give you different symptoms.‌“Again, it goes back to the nerves that the heart supplies, gives you different symptoms. Pain up into your jaw, down your arm, shoulder pain, sweating, nausea, even dizziness can be a symptom.”For this reason, it’s important to take any symptoms seriously. Dr Amir continued: “So it's really important that women don't put that down to something else.‌“One in four men die of a heart attack. One in four women die of heart attack. It's not a men's disease.”He added: “So think about all the different symptoms that could come as a heart attack in women.” He listed these as:Shoulder painJaw painBack painNauseaBreathlessnessExtreme fatigueIndigestion‌Dr Amir said these are “more likely” to happen in women. “Get it checked, ladies,” he said.In a caption for a clip of the video shared to his Instagram account, Dr Amir said: “And because these symptoms can be more subtle, women are unfortunately more likely to delay seeking help or be misdiagnosed initially."The important message is this: women absolutely do get classic crushing chest pain too - but heart attacks in women can sometimes present differently, and we need to talk about that more. Please don’t ignore persistent chest symptoms, unusual breathlessness, sudden exhaustion, or pain that feels wrong for you - especially if you have risk factors like smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure, menopause, family history, or high cholesterol.‌“And please share this video. The more women who recognise the symptoms early, the more lives we can save.”His warning is backed by experts at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), who said: “Men and women mostly share the same heart attack symptoms. But women sometimes experience lesser-known symptoms rather than chest pain.”Article continues belowRegarding heart attacks, the NHS says you should call 999 if:You have chest pain that feels tight or like squeezing on your chestYou have chest pain that's spreading to your arms, neck or jawYou're having severe difficulty breathing – you're gasping, choking or not able to get words outYour lips or skin are pale, blue or grey – on brown or black skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the handsSomeone has passed out and is not responding normally