What Are The Symptoms Of A Heart Attack In Women? Red Flags Women Should Recognize!
We’ve all heard of the big signs that have always been associated with heart attacks like chest pain and shortness of breath. However, women are more likely than men to have heart attack symptoms unrelated to chest pain—like neck and shoulder discomfort, abdominal distress, or pain in one or both arms, sweating, dizziness, nausea, etc.
Before we dig deeper into the possible symptoms among women, let’s discuss why heart attacks among women often go unrecognized.
Before we dig deeper into the possible symptoms among women, let’s discuss why heart attacks among women often go unrecognized.
Why Women May Be Ignoring These Red Flags?
Even without experiencing chest pain, women may get heart attacks. They experience subtler and less-recognizable symptoms of a heart attack. In fact, many women often miss the signs of a heart attack as they think they are too young for such an event. Also, in some instances, the symptoms hardly last for more than a day.
4 Vital Signs of Heart Attack You Should Recognize
If you’re wondering, “Am I having a heart attack?,” knowing these vital signs is the key to getting lifesaving treatment in time.
#1. Weakness and Fatigue
Unexplained weakness and extreme exhaustion can be signs of heart disease. Such women get exhausted easily, feel fatigued after climbing a flight of stairs, or even after doing something they had no problem doing in the past. Some women will feel extremely tired even if they haven’t moved much.
#2. Discomfort in Some Areas of The Upper Body
Pain or discomfort in the jaw, one or both arms, neck or back, is another classic symptom of a heart attack. If you are a woman who expects her pain to be confined to her chest and left arm and not radiate to the back or jaw, this discomfort may leave you confused. Before becoming intense, it may wax and wane, and you could experience it gradually or suddenly. The pain may even wake you up from sleep.
#3. Chest Discomfort
Experiencing pain, pressure or discomfort in the chest is the most common symptom of heart attack in women. If you’re a woman, you’ll feel it differently than men. It feels like a squeezing or a tightness that makes you genuinely uncomfortable. The pain may be experienced not only on one side, but it could be located anywhere in the chest.
#4. Stomach Pain, Shortness of Breath, and Sweating
Women may experience all or some of these symptoms during a heart attack. They often struggle to breathe, get an upset stomach, or break out in a nervous, cold sweat for apparently no reason.
In women, a heart attack strikes with little warning, and in most cases, they don't have a plan of action. Acting quickly is extremely important, as your chances of survival may reduce if you wait for long. Don’t delay getting help even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack; seek medical attention immediately if you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above.
For more information on understanding the signs of a heart attack in women, ask an online Cardiologist your questions today!
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