Women’s Heart Health
By Robert Goodman, MSW
Do you know the signs of a heart attack? They differ between men and women. I learned this recently when a close friend experienced chest discomfort after exerting herself in the gym and ignoring the symptoms. After this recurred over several days she decided to find out what was happening. She called the doctor who immediately sent her to the hospital after hearing the symptoms. She was admitted to the hospital and needed a stent put into an artery.
I have learned from this experience that many women do not know the signs of angina or a heart attack and often ignore them thinking that it is stress related or indigestion. Heart attacks are the number one killer of women with strokes the number three killer according the American Heart Association.
Angina is a warning sign of heart disease, and recognizing it and getting treated early may prevent a heart attack. As heart disease progresses, you may have tightness, pressure or discomfort in your chest during physical activity or when stressed. But it goes away shortly after you stop the activity or get rid of the stress.
Angina symptoms in women can also include feeling out of breath, nausea, vomiting, midepigastric discomfort or sharp chest pain. Once the extra demand for blood and oxygen stops, so do the symptoms.
Heart Attack Signs in Women
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
- As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
If you have any of these signs, don’t wait more than five minutes before calling for help. Call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.
Recognizing the signs and seeking treatment is the first step. Understanding your risk factors, such as a family history, is also important to stay in tune with changes in your health. Heart disease is preventable. See your physician regularly, exercise, if you smoke: quit, eat healthy, and know your pressure, cholesterol (total, HDL, LDL, and triglycerides), and blood sugar levels..
(Source: American Heart Association: www.heart.org)
Other sources of Information: www.womenshealth.gov, http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/womenshealth.html, http://www.cdc.gov/women/, www.webmd.com. You can also call the government’s Office of Women’s Health: 1-800-994-9662