Why Symptoms of Heart Attack in Women are Often Missed

Doctors are always on the lookout for heart attack symptoms in men, yet are less likely to recognize symptoms of heart attack in women. Women's heart attack symptoms tend to be quite different from those of men, thus more likely to be dismissed by doctors. The statistics report, however, that women are more likely to die from sudden cardiac death than men, and that two-thirds of women who have a heart attack don't completely recover. Women also tend to have heart attacks approximately 10 years later than men, another reason they may go undiagnosed.  

Little-Known Signs of Women's Heart Attack

The following are signs of a woman's impending heart attack and should not be ignored:

• More than 70 percent of women reported extreme fatigue in the month prior to their heart attack.  Keep in mind, however, that this is not the kind of tiredness you can forge through, but rather an overwhelming fatigue which prevents you from being present in your own life. 
• Despite the crippling fatigue, many women reported sleeplessness or insomnia in the month before their heart attack. 
• While we are all aware that stress can up the risk of a heart attack, women who've had heart attacks reported they felt extremely anxious, stressed and keyed up, and that moments before their heart attack they felt a feeling they could only describe as "impending doom."
• Other "typical" signs reported by women heart attack victims are indigestion, nausea, stomach pain, or general digestive disruptions. If you haven't eaten anything out of the ordinary, but are experiencing and of these signs, take heed. 
• More than 40% of women who had experienced a heart attack reported feeling extremely short of breath when doing their regular daily tasks. 
• If you suddenly experience the flu-like symptoms of clammy, sweaty skin and a lightheaded or weak feeling, you may be having a heart attack. 
• While pain and numbness in the chest, shoulder, or arm is a typical sign of heart attack among men, women experience the pain more as a sensation of tightness running along their jaw and down the neck--and sometimes up to the ear as well. The pain may extend down to your shoulder and arm--especially on the left side--or could feel like a bad backache or pulled muscle in your neck or back
• Additionally, African-American women reported feeling a higher intensity and frequency of headache, vision problems and difficulty breathing when lying down right before they experienced a heart attack. 

Getting Help

If you have experienced any of these symptoms, or if you just don't feel "right", don't wait. See your doctor immediately and ask for a complete and thorough work-up. If you have any of the risk factors associated with heart attack such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking, or a family history of heart disease, mention these to your doctor immediately. You know your own body best, so if you have been feeling "off" and know that something is wrong, don't allow your doctor to overlook or brush off your symptoms. Your future health depends on your vigilance and knowledge, as well as seeking medical intervention early.