Symptoms of Heart Attack in Women
Symptoms of Heart Attack in Women
A heart attack occurs when plaque builds up in the coronary arteries and blocks blood flow to the heart.
Heart attack symptoms in women
Women often ignore subtle heart attack symptoms. As a result, women often do not seek medical attention despite warning signs, reducing their chances of survival.
This article describes the various symptoms of a heart attack in women who need immediate medical attention.
How common are heart attacks?
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The risk applies to both men and women and most racial and ethnic groups.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one person dies from heart disease in the United States every 36 seconds, and 1 in 4 people in the United States dies from heart disease (about 650,000 Americans die each year). (1)
Heart attack symptoms in women
Symptoms that accompany a heart attack in women
Some women experience symptoms similar to men when they have angina (a lack of blood flow to the heart muscle due to deposits in the heart) or a heart attack. (2) (3)
During a heart attack, these symptoms come on suddenly and there is discomfort in the chest that is sharp, dull, painful, or just plain uncomfortable.
However, some women (and men) don't experience the usual symptoms of breast discomfort. Instead, they may experience:
Sudden shortness of breath
Left hand and jaw/teeth painful and uncomfortable
discomfort in the upper abdomen
to faint / pass out
Discomfort in the upper back
These symptoms can be associated with:
Sudden sweating
dizziness
nausea
All of these abnormal symptoms can occur in either sex, but are more common in women. However, most ailments/symptoms in the lower abdomen/back and lower back are most likely not indicative of a heart attack.
The symptoms listed above are often misinterpreted for other reasons. For example, I took care of a patient who thought he had severe toothache with physical activity and was diagnosed with a severely blocked coronary artery.
Another possible warning sign is the diagnosis of asthma in adulthood. Although possible, most cases of asthma develop in childhood and continue into adulthood. New onset "asthma" can actually indicate a heart problem.
Silent heart attacks in women
Yes, that can happen. In some cases, women have no symptoms at all. However, this is a minority.
Other times, women have unusual symptoms (eg, no chest pain) and believe they can "push through" the symptoms. Unfortunately, women put their health at risk to take care of their families.
It's important to be aware of the new symptoms above and see a doctor if you think you might be having a heart attack.
Could vaginal discomfort be a sign of a heart attack?
no As mentioned above, most symptoms below the belly button (navel) are very unlikely to originate from the heart. However, any new symptoms should be evaluated by your doctor.
Lifestyle tips to reduce heart attack risk
Lifestyle that helps prevent the risk of heart attack
Although you can't change your age or family history, you can change your risk factors. This means you can make changes in your life to reduce your risk of having a heart attack in the future.
These modifiable risk factors include:
1. Quit smoking
Smoking and smoking (and secondhand smoke) cause 1 in 4 deaths from heart attack. (4) Talk to your doctor if you need help quitting smoking.
Also Read: How Smoking Affects Heart Health
2. Exercise and lose weight
Talk to your doctor before you start exercising. The American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise per week. (5) Make time to be active!
3. Regular inspection
Have your doctor check your blood pressure and cholesterol levels regularly.
High blood pressure and high cholesterol may not make you feel any different, but they quietly work to increase your risk of heart attack and stroke. Treating high cholesterol and blood pressure is important to reduce risk.
Risk factors for heart attack in women
Risk factors for heart attack in women
The following factors increase the risk of heart attack.
Age: Women over the age of 55 suffer a heart attack
Medical conditions: These include diabetes, high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
Obesity: Obesity, caused by a sedentary lifestyle, is linked to elevated cholesterol and fat levels and increases the risk of heart attacks.
Genetics and family history: Genetic predisposition to premature heart disease (a first-degree family member who had a heart attack in childhood).
