Almost all of us know someone who has a bad heart; maybe it’s you. February is Heart Health Month, a great time to review a few basics about heart attacks and how symptoms can differ between men and women.
For starters, if you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911. Don’t waste a lot of time Googling your symptoms. There’s too much at stake, and 911 is the best way to save your life.
Sometimes, a heart attack looks just like it does on TV: Someone gets a sudden, sharp pain, clutches his chest, and falls to the ground. Depending on what you’re watching, the event either ends in tragedy or as a lesson learned with a vow to eat better and exercise more.
The challenge is that women sometimes don’t follow the TV script when it comes to a heart attack. For us, the symptoms are often confused with our daily life: exhaustion, anxiety and a queasy stomach.
Here’s what the American Heart Association says:
A heart attack strikes someone about every 40 seconds in the United States. It occurs when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or cut off completely. This happens because the arteries that supply the heart with blood can slowly narrow from a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances.
Even though heart disease is the number one killer of women in the U.S., women often chalk up the symptoms to less life-threatening conditions such as acid reflux, the flu or normal aging.
Many women think the signs of a heart attack are unmistakable. But the signs may not be obvious and might be confusing. Even when the signs are subtle, the outcomes can be deadly, especially if the person doesn’t get help right away.
Common Heart Attack Signs:
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest that may last more than a few minutes or go away and come back
- Pain or discomfort in one of the following: arms (one or both), back, neck, jaw or stomach
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
- Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. Some women having a heart attack describe upper back pressure that feels like squeezing or a rope being tied around them. Women may have other symptoms that are typically less associated with a heart attack, such as:
- Anxiety
- Shortness of breath
- Upset stomach
- Pain in the shoulder, back or arm
- Unusual tiredness and weakness
