Sweating, nausea, dizziness and unusual tiredness may not seem like typical symptoms of a heart attack. However, they are common in women and may occur more often during rest or sleep. Unlike men, chest pain, pressure, or discomfort is not always serious or even the most noticeable heart attack symptom in women. That's why women need to understand their specific symptoms and at the same time work to reduce their risk heart disease.
Heart attack in women: here's what to pay attention to
Unlike men, chest pain, pressure, or discomfort is not always serious or even the most noticeable heart attack symptom in women. That's why women need to understand their specific symptoms and at the same time work to reduce their risk of heart disease.
“It's important to first recognize risk factors for developing heart disease and then work to curb behaviors that could exacerbate heart attack risk,” says Chatura Alur, MD, a family medicine doctor at Mayo Clinic Health System in Mankato. “Some factors play a more significant role in the development of heart disease in women than those considered traditional risks, such as high cholesterol, obesity and hypertension.”
Women should also check these heart attack risk factors to help prevent heart disease:
Diabetes
Mental stress and depression
To smoke
Sedentary lifestyle
Certain conditions, including menopause, broken heart syndrome and pregnancy complications, can also increase a woman's risk of heart disease and stroke.
“Women of all ages should take heart disease seriously,” says Dr. Alur. “Many women tend to downplay their symptoms and not seek treatment until heart damage has already occurred and an emergency room visit becomes necessary. We want women to understand the importance of listening to their bodies, understanding what feels normal for them, and seeking treatment before symptoms become severe.”
Heart Month is a great time to refresh your knowledge about heart disease in women. Here are some facts you may not know.
According to the American Heart Association, the combination of birth control pills and smoking increases the risk of heart disease by 20 percent in young women. The risk also increases as women age. Eating too much and leading a sedentary lifestyle are factors that over time lead to blockage of the arteries. Don't let your age lull you into a false sense of security.
Unfortunately, all the salads and yoga in the world can't eliminate your risk of heart disease. Family history often plays a role.
The American Heart Association recommends starting to control your cholesterol at age 20, or earlier if your family has a history of heart disease. It is also important to check your blood pressure regularly.
According to the American Heart Association, 64 percent of women who die suddenly from coronary heart disease had no prior symptoms.
When women experience symptoms of a heart attack, these signs are often misinterpreted. Women's symptoms are often vague: shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain. Other women experience dizziness, lightheadedness, pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen, and extreme tiredness. If something is wrong or not right, don't wait to see a doctor.
You may think there is nothing subtle about a heart attack. But the truth is that a variety of subtle symptoms can signal heart problems, especially in women.
“There is more variation in the symptoms of a heart attack in a woman,” says Dr. Rekha Mankad, a cardiologist and director of the Women's Heart Clinic at the Mayo Clinic campus in Rochester. “So it's not always the classic image of someone clutching the left side of their chest.”
In this Mayo Clinic Minute, Dr. Mankad further explains how heart attacks in women can look and feel different than those in men.
“A classic heart attack: People have described it as someone clutching the left side of their chest while experiencing very severe pain that actually makes them double over,” Dr. Mankad says.
She says that may not be the case for a woman. “Although chest pain is still part of the symptom profile, it is usually not the most severe symptom.”
She says shortness of breath, nausea, and a strong feeling of tiredness or discomfort can also signal a heart attack in a woman. And that pain? “And they may have the pain that goes to the back or even be located exclusively between the shoulder blades. Or you can have it up to your neck, to your jaw,” says Dr. Mankad.
The bottom line is that there is greater variation in heart attack symptoms in women. And women tend to wait to be investigated. “Women are very quick to involve their husbands when something happens. But when it comes to themselves, they put it, in a sense, at the end of a to-do list,” says Dr. Mankad.
Dr. Mankad says when it comes to heart health, you should put yourself first. “Never ignore your symptom,” he says.
The heart-related deaths of celebrities such as “Star Wars” actress Carrie Fisher, singer-songwriter George Michael and actor Bernard Fox are a stark reminder that everyone should know the symptoms of serious heart problems, the American College said of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) said.
People should take potential symptoms of a heart attack seriously and immediately call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
According to ACEP, the most common heart attack symptoms are:
Uncomfortable pressure, fullness, tightness, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and returns,
Pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck, jaw, arms or back,
Chest discomfort along with dizziness, fainting, sweating, nausea, or shortness of breath.
Some less common symptoms include abnormal pain in the chest, stomach, or abdomen; nausea or dizziness; shortness of breath and difficulty breathing; unexplained anxiety, weakness or tiredness; palpitations, cold sweat or paleness.
The American Heart Association says that, as in men, the most common heart attack symptom in women is chest pain or discomfort. But women are more likely to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and bac
k or jaw pain.
“Patients should never self-diagnose,” ACEP President Dr. Becky Parker said in a press release. “It often takes a team of medical experts and various tests to diagnose the specific causes of chest pain. If it's a heart problem, that delay in time can prove fatal.”
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for 610,000 deaths (one in four deaths) per year.
Each year approximately 735,000 Americans have a heart attack; about two-thirds of these are first-time attacks. But according to the CDC, only 27% of Americans know all the major symptoms and how to respond.
#Heart #attack #symptoms #women #compared #men
