Heart Attack Symptoms in Women: What You Need to Know
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Heart attack symptoms in women are different.
Here’s what you need to know.
Why it matters
Women’s heart attack symptoms can be:
- Subtle
- Easy to dismiss
- Different from men’s
- Life-threatening if ignored
Knowing the signs could save your life.
Common symptoms in women
Chest discomfort
Not always:
- Severe pain
- Crushing pressure
- Obvious heart attack feeling
Often:
- Pressure or tightness
- Discomfort, not pain
- Comes and goes
- Feels like indigestion
Other symptoms
Watch for:
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea or vomiting
- Back or jaw pain
- Unusual fatigue
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Cold sweat
- Upper body discomfort
These can happen:
- With or without chest pain
- During rest or activity
- Suddenly or gradually
Why women dismiss symptoms
Women often:
- Attribute symptoms to stress
- Think it’s anxiety
- Blame it on being tired
- Wait too long to seek help
- Don’t want to “overreact”
But your health matters more than:
- Not wanting to bother anyone
- Thinking you’re overreacting
- Being “dramatic”
- Inconveniencing others
What to do
If you experience symptoms
Do this:
- Call 911 immediately
- Don’t drive yourself
- Don’t wait to see if it passes
- Don’t dismiss it
- Take it seriously
Not:
- Waiting to see if it goes away
- Driving yourself to the hospital
- Thinking you’re overreacting
- Dismissing the symptoms
- Waiting for it to get worse
Prevention
Support your heart health:
- Regular check-ups
- Know your numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol)
- Manage stress
- Move your body
- Eat well
- Don’t smoke
- Limit alcohol
Risk factors for women
Higher risk if you:
- Have high blood pressure
- Have high cholesterol
- Smoke
- Have diabetes
- Are overweight
- Don’t exercise
- Have a family history
- Are post-menopausal
- Have had pregnancy complications
The bottom line
Heart attack symptoms in women can be subtle.
Don’t dismiss:
- Unusual fatigue
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Back or jaw pain
- Chest discomfort
Your health matters.
Take symptoms seriously.
Call 911 if you’re concerned.
It’s better to be safe than sorry.