Heart Attack Warning Signs For Females To Take Seriously

Chest pain is perhaps the most common heart attack (myocardial infarction- MI) symptom, but it isn’t the only one sign indicating MI, especially for women. They may not experience the obvious symptoms, and are more likely to experience more nuanced symptoms that are often mistaken for other conditions.

Unfortunately, women are much more likely to die following MI than their male counterparts. This can be attributed to their ignoring their symptoms or waiting too long to take action (seek medical help). Receiving swift medical attention is crucial for a heart attack victim’s survival.

Outlining MI signs that women especially should watch for so that they can take timely action:

Unusual fatigue- It’s okay to feel exhausted after heavy exercise, which is quite normal. But if you are feeling tired when you are just resting or sitting, or something like taking stairs is tiring you, this may be indicative of something more troublesome going on in your ticker.

Experiencing heaviness in chest, shortness of breath, feeling easily tired doing simple tasks, feeling like you’re exercising when you are not- all fall in the realm of unusual fatigue.

Cold sweats- Cold sweats are common among menopausal women, so most often they brush it aside. Watch for if you are out of breath when you aren’t exercising, sudden sweating, stickiness or feeling cold, and shortness of breath- these could indicate MI. A telltale sign is when sweats occur in combination with jaw pain and unusual fatigue. Call 911 right away for swift medical access.

Pain in parts of your body- Although chest pain or pressure or tightening is a well-known MI symptom, pain could also be felt in other parts of the body, such as back, neck, shoulder, jaw, arms and stomach. Women are more likely to feel pain in areas aside from their chest. Get checked out if that’s the case.

In the event you experience MI symptoms, with some subtle symptoms for women being feeling of heartburn and indigestion, shortness of breath, back and jaw pain, weakness and light-headedness, vomiting or nausea, call 911 right away. This will make sure emergency medical personnel reach you at the earliest that may start treatment with medications designed to break down any blood clots and help with better blood circulation. However, follow-up care with a cardiologist is a necessity.

Treatment depends on the underlying cause, which doctors figure out after running tests, and can range from medications, stents, to cardiac surgery (angioplasty, coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG)).

Appearance of any of the aforementioned signs, especially more than one, signal that something is up with your ticker.

Everyone should undergo heart screenings, and women, especially ones over 45 years of age, should consider gauging their risk of heart disease with a painless, non-invasive heart scan. If you have even the slightest suspicion that you might be experiencing MI, you should call 911.

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