A heart attack is life threatening as it is caused by the blockage of blood flow to the heart. The symptoms of a heart attack in men is different from the symptoms that a women may have. Having a better knowledge about female specific symptoms of a Heart Attack could help in seeking medical attention very fast and could save their life.
As compared to men, women are less likely to survive their first attack. This is all because the symptoms may differ between both the sexes. Women tend to be have a silent heart attack and also show certain unusual symptoms.
As per research women can experience symptoms of a heart attack several weeks before they had the attack. The symptoms of the heart attack will be constant or come and go and they can also disrupt sleep.
And it becomes important for a woman who experiences any of these symptoms to look out for help immediately as heart attacks tends to be fatal.
Following are the few symptoms of heart attack a woman can have:
Chest Pain
Chest pain is the most common symptom of heart attack. This is common for both men and women with chest pain and discomfort. This can be in the form of pressure, tightness, aching, squeezing. But women tend to experience a heart attack even without having any chest discomfort.
Weakness
In women, feeling weak is another common symptom of a heart attack. The weakness could be accompanied by dizziness, fainting, and anxiety.
Heavy Breathing or Shortness of breath
When a woman suffers from shortness of breath without any exertion and it is normally accompanied by chest pain, it could mean heart problems. Some women will feel short of breath when they lie down and this symptom will go off when they sit upright.
Excessive sweating
Without a normal cause, excessive sweating could be another heart symptom in women. And some women can feel very cold and this could be an indicator of heart problems
Stomach problems
Before a heart attack many women could feel pressure or pain in the stomach. Other common digestive problems that are associated with heart attack include nausea, vomiting, and indigestion.
Risk Factors
In women, the following are the risk factors for a heart attack:
Advanced age: Women above 55 years or older in age are at greater risk of getting a heart attack. The main reason is due to the hormones that tend to provide protection from heart disease before they reach menopause.
Family History: Women who had a female relative who had a heart attack before 65 years of age or a male relative who had a heart attack by the age of 55 years old are considered to have a family history of heart attack.
Certain medical conditions: Those women with certain medical conditions that include obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disorders are more likely to suffer from a heart attack.
Lifestyle: Women who use tobacco or stimulant drugs and those who live a sedentary lifestyle have a chance of getting a heart attack.
What should women do to reduce the risk of heart disease?
There are various lifestyle changes that women can make to reduce the risk of heart disease and that include:
- Regular exercise
- Quit Smoking
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Eating a well balanced diet that includes whole grains, a variety of fruits and vegetables, low fat or fat free diary.
When should one see a doctor?
- All women who are over 40 years of age are advised to have regular checkups with their doctor. This helps in identifying the risk factors early so that the treatment can be done. Early treatment and intervention helps in bringing down the chances of a heart attack.
- If one suffers from unusual fatigue, upper body pain and shortness of breath one should see the doctor immediately.
- The doctor will take a note of symptoms and check the blood pressure and heart rate, and also ask you to take blood tests or use an electrocardiogram to check the heart’s electrical activity.
Why Ravi Hospital?
Ravi hospital has some of the best experienced and skilled cardiologists to perform heart surgeries with latest and less invasive techniques for best treatment outcomes. Our patient-centric approach, with safety and comfort to the patients, make us one of the most reliable hospitals for Heart-Related Problems.
