Not everyone’s heart attack feels the same
Every woman should know the symptoms of heart attack and how to get medical help immediately. Ideally, treatment should start within one hour of initial symptoms. Quick action can prevent disabling complications and save your life.
Unfortunately, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, women are less likely than men to believe they are having a heart attack and more likely to delay in seeking emergency treatment. And although women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort, women are somewhat more likely than men to experience shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
Know all the warning signs
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes. It may feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain. The discomfort can be mild or severe, and may come and go.
- Discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Lightheadedness
- Breaking out in a cold sweat
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The American Heart Association has identified factors that increase the risk of cardiovascular disease, which can lead to heart attack (as well as stroke). You can’t help some risk factors, which include increasing age and family history. But other risk factors can be modified, treated or controlled.
Tobacco smoke —Your own or constant exposure to someone else’s. Women smokers
who use birth control pills have a higher risk of heart attack and stroke than nonsmokers who use them.
High cholesterol—Studies show that women’s cholesterol is higher than men’s from age 45 on. Research also shows that low levels of HDL cholesterol (the “good” cholesterol)—which tend to lower the risk of heart disease—seem to be a stronger risk fact for women than for men.
High blood pressure—Women have an increased risk of developing high blood pressure if they are obese, have a family history of high blood pressure, are pregnant, take certain types of birth control pills or have reached menopause.
Physical inactivity—Heart disease is almost twice as likely to develop in inactive people than in those who are more active.
Obesity and overweight—Too much fat, especially in your waist area, puts you at higher risk for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Diabetes—Compared to women without diabetes, women with diabetes have from two to six times the risk of heart disease and heart attack.
High triglyceride levels—Research suggests that having high triglycerides may increase risk in women more than in men.