Heart Attack Signs in Women

Heart attack is a medical condition that is often associated with men. However, though not many people know it, heart attack is common even among women. Though people think that breast cancer is the most common cause for death in women, it is actually not so. Over the past few years, it has been observed that most deaths among women have been caused due to heart attack and other cardiovascular diseases. Hence, it is important to be aware of the symptoms that are associated with heart attack in women. However, before we go into the details of heart attack symptoms in women, let us take a quick look at some of the causes and risk factors that can lead to heart attack in women.

Causes and Risk Factors

It is important to know the causes and risk factors of heart attack in women as this can help a person to take extra care to prevent herself from experiencing it. Here are some of the common causes and risk factors that may lead to heart attack in women.

• Old age is one of the most common factors that can cause heart attack in women. It has been seen that women in the post menopausal stage are at a very high risk of developing heart disease due to the hormonal changes that occur during this time.
• Another reason that can cause heart attack in women as well as in men is hereditary. People who have a history of heart attack or heart problems in their family are at a greater risk of experiencing it in their lifetime. Other than this, women who smoke or are exposed to secondhand smoke at home or at work place also have high chances of having a heart attack.
• Women suffering from high blood pressure may also suffer from the problem of heart attack. Many times, lack of physical activity can indirectly become the reason for a person to experience cardiac arrest. People who do not indulge in any kind of physical activity and eat too much food, become obese which is one of the major cause of diseases like blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, etc, and all this together subsequently may lead to heart attack.
• Some other causes that can be a reason for heart attack in women include excessive alcohol intake, stress, high cholesterol levels, taking birth control pills, etc. It has also been seen that African-American women are at a high risk of having heart attack than Caucasian women.

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

Usually, when a person thinks about heart attack symptoms, the first thing that comes to mind is intense pain in the chest. Though this is true, this is not the first sign of heart attack in women. Actually, the body starts indicating the chances of having an heart attack much before one actually has it. These early signs may start appearing days, weeks and sometimes even months before the heart attack actually occurs. Hence, recognizing the heart attack signs and symptoms in women may help in preventing a severe heart attack.

Unusual Fatigue or Tiredness
Feeling tired all the time is one of the earliest heart attack warning signs in women. However, the problem here is that tiredness is something that is a common symptom for various diseases. Nevertheless, if you are feeling extreme fatigue throughout the day which is hampering your daily activities, getting a complete check up done may prevent the occurrence of a heart attack.

Sleep Disturbances
Another earliest symptom that women experience days or weeks before having heart attack is sleep disturbances. Though difficulty falling asleep and disturbing sleeping patterns are common during old age, if this happens very frequently, it can be an indicator of an impending heart attack and hence, should be given immediate medical assistance.

Chest Pain and Discomfort
The most common symptom of heart attack is intense pain or discomfort in the center of the chest. One is likely to feel a squeezing or an uncomfortable pressure near the chest area. However, this discomfort or pain is not constant in the beginning. Rather, the chest pain lasts for a few minutes and then disappears, to reappear again after some time.

Pain and Discomfort in the Upper Parts of the Body
Along with the pain in the chest, one is also likely to experience pain and discomfort in the upper parts of the body too. Women who have suffered from cardiac arrest have said that a few days before it, they had experienced pain on both the arms, jaw, back, stomach, neck, etc.

Shortness of Breath
One of the common signs of a heart attack in women as well as men is shortness of breath. Heart attack is usually accompanied with shortness of breath i.e. a person finds it difficult to breathe normally. Along with this, one may also experience excessive sweating and dizziness as symptoms of heart attack.

Other Symptoms
Apart from the above signs, there are some more things that one may experience before having an heart attack. Many women have reported to have experienced lightheadedness and palpitations before having a heart attack. Moreover, women are likely to experience severe indigestion along with nausea, vomiting and gas like pain prior to having a cardiac arrest.

These are the symptoms that are associated with heart attack in women. If you observe any of these signs in women, in yourself or one of your family members, the person must be rushed to the emergency department immediately. Though some of these symptoms are common to other health problems and may not indicate a heart attack, consulting the doctor immediately can save the life of the person.