I was an EMT for about 5 years and I learned a lot about heart attacks. When most people think about heart attack symptoms, they think of stabbing chest pain. But that isn't always how a heart attack presents and this is especially true when it comes to women. Women tend to have much less severe signs and symptoms than men. Many people don't know that though, which is dangerous because a woman may have a heart attack and not seek out medical help. Regardless of what's going on with your body, if you think something serious might be going on you should always go to the doctor. But here are some possible signs and symptoms of a heart attack that you should know about. And even though these tend to be more common in women, men can also suffer from these less common symptoms.
1. You might experience chest discomfort but not always in the form of actual pain. Your chest might feel tight or you might feel a lot of pressure. It's easy to mistake this for indigestion or gas but it could be a heart attack, especially if it gets worse over time.
2. You can also have discomfort or pain that radiates into your shoulder, neck, back, abdomen, either arm, or jaw. Chest pain isn't always confined to the center of the chest either. You might feel it on one side or the other. Unfortunately, when pain is felt in the abdomen it can be mistaken for a stomach issue. Generally speaking, anything felt above the waistline could be related to your heart.
3. And something that complicates the issue of abdominal pain more is the fact that a heart attack can also cause nausea and vomiting. This is especially common in women and often goes unnoticed because the person assumes they have a stomach virus.
4. If you experience shortness of breath suddenly, it could indicate something is wrong with your heart. Some people experience shortness of breath for over a month before they have a heart attack. So if you're all of a sudden having trouble going up stairs or finishing your workouts you should consider seeing a doctor.
5. Similar to having shortness of breath, if you become lightheaded, dizzy, or you feel faint you might want to see a doctor. This can indicate that your circulatory system is having trouble pumping your blood and not getting enough blood to your head can cause these symptoms.
4. If you experience unusual fatigue it can be due to a heart problem and it might be a sign that a heart attack is going to happen. Of course, fatigue can be a symptom of many other health problems as well including depression, low thyroid, anemia, and cancer. So it's important to see a doctor to get a proper diagnosis.
6. Sweating that starts suddenly is another symptom that often goes unnoticed. This is especially true for women that are getting older because it can be confused with night sweats or hot flashes. But those experiences tend to be fairly short and usually last about a minute or two. But extreme sweating that doesn't go away quickly can indicate that you might be having a heart attack.
7. If you experience any symptoms that make you think you might have a heart condition you should see a doctor immediately. They'll complete a full exam including getting a blood pressure reading, drawing blood for tests, and they'll perform an EKG to look for changes in your heart's electrical activity. They might also give you a stress test where you will walk on a treadmill while having your blood pressure taken every few minutes. Your doctor might also give you drugs that allow him to see how your heart is working as it's working. This is an important test and it can reveal any obstructed blood vessels you may have.
If you think you're having a heart attack you should call 911 and go to an ER immediately. Many women experience these uncommon, milder symptoms and don't go to the doctor. It could be the difference between life and death. Don't be afraid that you might be wrong. It's much better to err on the side of caution. Any decent health care provider would much rather have a patient that is okay because they don't have a serious condition than a patient that doesn't come in and dies from a heart attack. When I was an EMT I had many calls that turned out to be false alarms, but I always told my patients that I would rather them be safe than sorry.
References:
MayoClinic.org. Heart disease in women: Understand symptoms and risk factors. Accessed at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/heart-disease/in-depth/heart-disease/art-20046167 on February 25, 2018.
This fears me a lot. I am not aware that there are such mild symptoms for heart attack. This would be of a great help! Signs are clearly explained in this! It is a good thing that there are such article that opens the eye of the reader to possibilities of uncommon dangers in health. It helped me a lot! I am now sharing these facts especially to my family. This is another must share for me!
This fears me a lot. I am not aware that there are such mild symptoms for heart attack. This would be of a great help! Signs are clearly explained in this! It is a good thing that there are such article that opens the eye of the reader to possibilities of uncommon dangers in health. It helped me a lot! I am now sharing these facts especially to my family. This is another must share for me!