Heart attack symptoms may come and go. Chest pains and discomfort can be felt for a few minutes to a few hours. These pains can go away only to return at a later time. As for heart attack emergencies, suffering a heart attack once increases the risk for another heart attack. In general, a person who has had a heart attack before may suffer another heart attack 3 to 5 years after the initial heart attack. Adopting a healthy lifestyle can help prevent another attack from occurring.