Symptoms of heart attack to look out for if you’re a woman as it’s surprisingly different to what men experience
Health professionals have shared the major warning signs to be wary of
In the UK, around 100,000 hospital admissions each year are due to heart attacks according to the British Heart Foundation.
That works out to a shocking 290 admissions each day or one every five minutes.
One thing that can help lower this figure is raising awareness on heart attacks, namely the symptoms of the medical emergency.
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However, it's important to note that the major symptoms of a heart attack are surprisingly different for people who are biologically female compared to those who are biologically male.
Chest pain or discomfort
Now, this may seem obvious given that chest pain is the most common heart attack symptom.
However, it's important to know that some women may experience it differently than men.
"It may feel like a squeezing or fullness, and the pain can be anywhere in the chest, not just on the left side," WebMD states.
Cardiologist Rita Redberg, MD, director of Women’s Cardiovascular Services at the University of California describes the pain as 'truly uncomfortable' adding: "It feels like a vise being tightened."
Pain in your arm(s), back, neck, or jaw
WebMD explains that this type of pain is more common in women than in men.
"It may confuse women who expect their pain to be focused on their chest and left arm, not their back or jaw," the site says.
Such pain can be both 'gradual or sudden' and it may 'wax and wane' before becoming intense.
If you're sleeping, the pain may also wake you up.
Cardiologist C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, and director of the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles says you should report any 'not typical or unexplained' symptoms in any part of your body above your waist to your doctor or other health care provider.
Stomach pain
Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York explains that women experience severe abdominal pressure when having a heart attack that 'feels like an elephant sitting on your stomach'.
So, it's important to acknowledge your symptoms as people can sometimes mistake this pain for something far less serious like heartburn, the flu, or a stomach ulcer.
Sweating
Sweating is another symptom to be mindful of with WebMD noting: "Breaking out in a nervous, cold sweat is common among women who are having a heart attack."
This will feel more like 'stress-related sweating' than perspiration from exercising or spending time outside in the heat.
Merz advises you should 'get it checked out' if this is uncommon for you and if there's no other cause, like hot flashes brought on by the menopause.
Shortness of breath, nausea, or lightheadedness
If you find yourself having immense difficulty breathing for seemingly 'no apparent reason' along with one or more of the other symptoms, you could be having a heart attack.
"It can feel like you have run a marathon, but you didn't make a move," Goldberg says.
Fatigue
And the final main symptom of a heart attack to look out for as a woman is fatigue.
WebMD states: "Some women who have heart attacks feel extremely tired, even if they've been sitting still for a while or haven't moved much."
Goldberg adds: "Patients often complain of a tiredness in the chest.
"They say that they can't do simple activities, like walk to the bathroom."
Rhiannon Ingle