Signs For Heart Attack In Woman

What To Do During A Heart Attack

According to Go Red for Women, if you experience heart attack signs or symptoms:

• Do not wait to call for help. Dial 9-1-1, make sure to follow the operators instructions and get to a hospital right away.
• Do not drive yourself. Have someone drive you to the hospital, unless you have no other choice.

• Try to stay as calm as possible and take deep, slow breaths while you wait for the emergency responders.

Women often misdiagnose the symptoms of a heart attack because theyâre unaware of the signs or they consider themselves healthy and donât think it could happen to them. Thatâs why itâs so important to learn about heart disease and stroke, know your numbers, live a heart-healthy lifestyle and be aware of the risk factors of heart disease.

© 2022 Asuris Northwest Health.

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How Men And Women Experience Heart Attack

Women and men can experience the signs and symptoms of a heart attack differently.

Men may experience:

• shortness of breath

Although chest pain is thought to be the most common symptom of heart attack and it is common in men only about half of all women who have a heart attack actually report chest pain.

Womens Heart Attack Symptoms

For both men and women, the most common symptom of a heart attack is chest discomfort or pain. Some people, especially women, may have a heart attack without any chest pain or pressure.

Researchers found that of 515 women who had heart attacks, only 29.7% said they had chest discomfort. Those who experienced chest symptoms described feeling tightness, aching, or pressure, but not pain.

Women are more likely to have other heart attack symptoms like back or jaw pain, vomiting and nausea, and shortness of breath.

This information is not widely known. A survey found that while nearly 60% of women knew that chest pain is a heart attack symptom, they were not as aware of other womens heart attack symptoms, like fatigue and nausea.

Because women tend to report other symptoms, there has sometimes been misdiagnosis or delay in treatment of their heart attack.

There may also be knowledge gaps when it comes to women and heart disease. Experts say that heart-related research studies have often been done with more male participants than females. Only about 34% of participants in cardiovascular research clinical trials are women.

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What Are The Symptoms Of Heart Disease For Women

There tends to be a common misconception when it comes to the symptoms associated with heart disease in women. These symptoms can vary from those in men, so its important that women take the steps to understand the symptoms unique to them.

Only one in three women will experience typical heart attack symptoms such as pain in the centre of the chest. This can be severe, but can alternatively be described as uncomfortable pressure, squeezing or fullness which can last for a few minutes, go away, and then comes back.

Instead, many women suffer from less common warning signs such as:

• Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal pain
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
• Pain in one or both arms
• Nausea or vomiting
• Unusual feelings of fatigue
• Heart palpitations

While these symptoms can be more subtle than the typical crushing chest pain, its important to take them seriously. Another difference to be aware of is the type of chest pain women may experience, as it tends to be described as pressure or tightness.

Womens heart attack symptoms may occur more often when they are asleep or resting and can even be triggered by stress. If you experience any of these symptoms or think you are having a heart attack, immediately call an ambulance.

Instead Many Women Suffer From Less Common Warning Signs Such As:

• Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal pain
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
• Pain in one or both arms
• Nausea or vomiting
• Breaking out in a cold sweat
• Light-headedness or dizziness
• Unusual feelings of fatigue
• Heart palpitations

While these symptoms can be more subtle than the typical crushing chest pain, its important to take them seriously. Another difference to be aware of is the type of chest pain women may experience, as it tends to be described as pressure or tightness.

Womens heart attack symptoms may occur more often when they are asleep or resting and can even be triggered by stress. If you experience any of these symptoms or think you are having a heart attack, immediately call an ambulance.

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Other Potential Heart Attack Signs

Heart attack signs look different for everyone, although there are a few common ones to watch for.

• Neck, jaw, arm, and back pain: Pain radiating to your jaw, back, neck, or arms may signal a heart condition, especially if the origin is hard to pinpoint. For example, you might feel pain, but no specific muscle or joint aches. If the discomfort begins or worsens when you are exerting yourself, and then stops when you quit exercising, you should also get it checked out.

• Unexpected sweating: During menopause, many women experience hot flashes. However, sudden or excessive sweating associated with other symptoms such as nausea or chest pressure can also be a heart attack sign. Stress sweat when there is no real cause for stress, or sweating or shortness of breath accompanied by other symptoms, such as chest pain or fatigue, can be cause for concern.

• Chest pain: Chest pain/pressure is a very common heart attack sign, but can feel different than you might think. We need to dig deeper into the symptom of chest pain for both men and women as it relates to heart attacks, Dr. Cho says. It is seldom as dramatic as you might think, and it can feel like pressure or heart burn that comes on over time.

What Can I Do To Recover After A Heart Attack

Take our quiz to see how much you know about cardiac rehabilitation.

If youve had a heart attack, your heart may be damaged. This could affect your hearts rhythm and its ability to pump blood to the rest of the body. You may also be at risk for another heart attack or conditions such as stroke, kidney disorders, and peripheral arterial disease .

You can lower your chances of having future health problems following a heart attack with these steps:

• Physical activityTalk with your health care team about the things you do each day in your life and work. Your doctor may want you to limit work, travel, or sexual activity for some time after a heart attack.
• Lifestyle changesEating a healthier diet, increasing physical activity, quitting smoking, and managing stressin addition to taking prescribed medicinescan help improve your heart health and quality of life. Ask your health care team about attending a program called cardiac rehabilitation to help you make these lifestyle changes.
• Cardiac rehabilitationCardiac rehabilitation is an important program for anyone recovering from a heart attack, heart failure, or other heart problem that required surgery or medical care. Cardiac rehab is a supervised program that includes
• Physical activity
• Education about healthy living, including healthy eating, taking medicine as prescribed, and ways to help you quit smoking
• Counseling to find ways to relieve stress and improve mental health

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Symptoms Of Heart Attack In Women:

• Unusual pain in your neck, chest, shoulder, jaw, abdomen and/or through to your back
• Feeling short of breath, sweaty
• Racing of your heart or feeling of fluttering
• Lightheadedness
• Nausea and vomiting

If you experience one or more of these symptoms, then you should get immediate medical attention.

Feelings of embarrassment and not wanting to be a burden on others are major reasons why women tend to delay seeking treatment. It is important to identify any problems and take the necessary steps to intervene before a possible heart attack.

Heart Attack Risk Factors For Women

There are several factors that increase your chance of developing heartdisease. Almost 50% of all Americans have at least one of three major riskfactors for the condition:

• High blood pressure: Women can develop high blood pressure as a side effect of birth control pills or during pregnancy. All women over 65 are more likely than men are to have high blood pressure.
• High cholesterol: Estrogen seems to protect women against unhealthy levels of cholesterol. But after menopause, estrogen levels drop and high cholesterol becomes more likely.
• Smoking: Although men are slightly more likely to smoke, the gap in cigarette usage between genders is smaller than ever and women are less likely to be able to quit successfully.

Additional risk factors include:

• Excessive alcohol use

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Heart Attack: Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Prevention More

Een arts kan ook een continue ECG of ambulante aritmiemonitor aanbevelen, waarbij u een apparaat draagt dat continu de elektrische signalen van uw hart registreert. Afhankelijk van uw symptomen kunt u het apparaat enkele dagen of enkele weken dragen.

Over het algemeen verschilt de behandeling van hartaandoeningen voor vrouwen niet veel van de behandeling voor mannen. De behandeling hangt af van het type hartaandoening en kan bestaan uit:

Risicofactoren voor hartaandoeningen zijn complex en omvatten genetica, andere biologische factoren en algemene gezondheids- en levensstijlfactoren.

Hoewel u uw risico op hartaandoeningen niet volledig kunt elimineren, kunt u stappen ondernemen om het te verminderen. Ze bevatten:

Subtle Signs Of A Heart Attack Every Woman Should Recognize Health Nexus

Hartaandoeningen komen vaker voor bij vrouwen dan de meeste mensen beseffen. In feite is het de belangrijkste doodsoorzaak voor vrouwen.

Veel vrouwen met een hartaandoening hebben geen symptomen. Neem zo snel mogelijk contact op met uw arts om uw risico op hart- en vaatziekten te bepalen en hoe u dit risico kunt verminderen.

Als u symptomen heeft, is het belangrijk om zo snel mogelijk contact op te nemen met een arts, zodat deze kan testen op hartaandoeningen en een behandeling kan geven voordat een hartaanval optreedt.

Lesser Known Signs And Symptoms Of Heart Disease

Video: Ga rood voor vrouwen. Opmerking: in Aotearoa, Nieuw-Zeeland, belt u in geval van nood 111 voor een ambulance.

When Should You See Your Doctor

Its always better to err on the side of caution if something doesnt feel right. If you have noticed that you are shorter of breath with regular activity, you should go to your general doctor or your cardiologist, says Dr. Cho. It depends on the severity and the acuteness if it has started recently or not.

When you do visit, be sure to:

• Bring a list of your symptoms and when they are occurring.
• Let them know about any related family history of heart disease.
• Talk about stress or anything going on in your life that might contribute to a problem.

Your doctor likely will listen to your symptoms and check your pulse and blood pressure. They may order blood work, which will show whether your heart is damaged. They also may use an electrocardiogram to tell whether the electrical activity of your heart is normal, or an echocardiogram to view images of the heart to see if damage has occurred. Some patients may get stress tests, a coronary computed tomography angiogram or a cardiac catheterization.All of this is important in identifying any problems and taking steps to intervene before a possible heart attack.

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When To See A Doctor

The British Heart Foundation recommend all women over 40 years of age have regular checks with their doctor. This helps identify risk factors early so that they can be treated. Early intervention reduces the chances of a cardiac event.

Anyone who notices the warning signs of a heart attack, such as the following, should see a doctor immediately:

• unusual fatigue
• shortness of breath
• upper body pain

A doctor will note symptoms, check blood pressure and heart rate, and may order blood tests or use an electrocardiogram to see the hearts electrical activity.

Only 65 percent of women would call emergency services if they suspected they were having a heart attack, according to a 2012 survey .

Emergency treatment can save lives. Anyone noticing the following symptoms should call an ambulance immediately, especially if the signs are present for 5 minutes or more:

• chest pain or discomfort
• pain in the upper body, including arms, back, neck, jaw, or shoulder
• difficulty breathing

How Long Can A Woman Have Symptoms Or Signs Of Blockage Before A Heart Attack Occurs

Is it possible to walk around with heart attack symptoms for a period of time? Yes, but for how long is impossible to state, says Dr. Watson. Every woman is different.

Thats why if there are any worrisome symptoms its best to get them checked as soon as possible. The symptoms that should send you directly to get checked out are chest pain, shortness of breath or fainting, she says.

As for knowing whether your blood vessels to your heart are becoming blocked, unfortunately, says Dr. Watson, you probably wont. Its really hard to know pre-symptoms, she says, though you and your healthcare provider can be on the lookout if she knows your family history and is monitoring your cholesterol, blood pressure and other heart disease risk factors. What you are going to really feel are the symptoms I wish there were an early warning sign but there isnt.

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Do Women Have As Many Heart Attacks As Men

Coronary heart disease kills more than twice as many women as breast cancer in the UK every year, and it was the single biggest killer of women worldwide in 2019. Despite this, its often considered a mans disease.There are more than 800,000 women in the UK living with CHD, which is the main cause of heart attacks.

Each year more than 30,000 women are admitted to hospital in the UK due to a heart attack.

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What Are The Risk Factors For Heart Attack

Several health conditions, your lifestyle, and your age and family history can increase your risk for heart disease and heart attack. These are called risk factors. About half of all Americans have at least one of the three key risk factors for heart disease: high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking.2

Some risk factors cannot be controlled, such as your age or family history. But you can take steps to lower your risk by changing the factors you can control.

Learn more about risk factors for heart disease and heart attack.

What Are The Symptoms Of Heart Attacks In Women

Until recently, research on heart attacks focused mainly on men. However, studies now show that some of the symptoms of heart attacks in women are different from those in men.

Too often, the signs of heart attacks go unnoticed in women . They may think that other health problems or drug side effects are causing their symptoms or that the symptoms will go away on their own. As a result, women don’t always get the health care they need to prevent complications or death from a heart attack.

Chest pain is the most common symptom in both sexes, but women may also experience these other symptoms:

• unusual fatigue that gets worse with activity
• difficulty breathing
• heartburn that is unrelieved by antacids
• nausea and/or vomiting that is unrelieved by antacids
• tightening and pain in the chest that may extend into the neck, jaws and shoulders
• general feeling of weakness

Some women may have few of these symptoms, while others may have all of them at the same time. Symptoms may suddenly appear and then disappear. Also, women often report symptoms up to one month before the heart attack. If a woman has any of these symptoms and thinks she may be having a heart attack, she should immediately call emergency or go to the nearest emergency medical centre.

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Heart Attack Testing: Faq

Q: Why do I have to submit to a bunch of tests?A: Tests help the doctor determine if a heart attack occurred, how much your heart was damaged and what degree of coronary artery disease you might have. The tests screen your heart and help the doctor determine what treatment and lifestyle changes will keep your heart healthy and prevent serious future medical events.

Q: Whats the difference between invasive and non-invasive tests?A: Non-invasive cardiac tests measure your hearts activity through external imaging and electrocardiography. Invasive tests include drawing and testing samples of your blood, and inserting and threading a thin hollow tube called a catheter into a blood vessel to get an inside view.

Q: How can I learn more about the tests that may be performed?A: These diagnostic tests and procedures can reveal if you had a heart attack, how much damage was done and what degree of coronary artery disease you have.

Q: What types of treatment will I get after the hospital diagnoses my heart attack?A: If youve had a heart attack, you may have already had undergone certain procedures to help you survive your heart attack. Those same procedures can help to diagnose your condition. Such procedures include: