How to Recognize Early Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

Damage from a heart attack can be averted or nearly avoided if you learn to recognize early heart attack symptoms in women. Women may exhibit different heart attack symptoms than men so a woman might not have the classic heart attack symptoms such as shooting pain down the left arm. Learn to recognize the early symptoms of a woman's heart attack and get medical treatment quickly to minimize heart damage.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

1. ~~Be aware of the earliest of heart attack symptoms in women~~
   
   The Journal of the American Heart Association published a study (see resource section below) enrolling 515 women subjects to analyze the most frequent symptoms of Acute Myocardial Infarction (heart attack). This study reported that women heart attack survivors frequently recognized a change in their normal life up to a month before the heart attack. The most frequent changes reported in this clinical trial were extreme fatigue (70.7%), changes in sleeping pattern (47.8%), and shortness of breath (42.1%).

2. ~~Recognize the most common symptoms of heart attack in women~~
   
   Women typically show different symptoms of heart attack then men do. The most common symptom, however, in both women and men is some sort of pain or pressure in the chest which may come and go. In women, the chest pain is usually not as intense as it is in men. Many women heart attack survivors report a burning or pressure starting in the chest, which radiates upward - to the neck and shoulder region or even below the jaw line.

3. ~~Recognize that heart attack symptoms in women may appear as digestion issues~~
   
   Women frequently report symptoms such as an upset stomach followed closely by nausea and, sometimes, vomiting. Flu-like symptoms, such as chills, may also occur in women. If these symptoms are sudden onset, it's better to take a trip to the emergency room than to wait.

4. ~~Watch for changes to skin tone or clamminess~~
   
   Women in early stages of heart attack may show a change in skin tone - such as a pale tone or, the opposite effect of a flush. The skin may be clammy to the touch or a cold sweat may be reported.
   
   For more heart attack symptom information, see the resource section below.

5. ~~Ask questions in the emergency room~~
   
   Heart attacks in women are frequently misdiagnosed in emergency rooms, especially heart attacks in younger women, simply because the symptoms don't always point to the correct diagnosis.
   
   If you exhibit heart attack symptoms, make sure to ask the ER doctor these words 'Have you checked to see if I've had a heart attack?' Better to be safe than sorry.

Resources

• Link to clinical trial of heart attack symptoms in women
• American Heart Association website
• How to brew a cup of white tea
• How to get in shape for $75
• How to cook yourself thin
• How to stay motivated for weight loss

[Creativehearts1]

on 11/24/2009 Important article - symptoms for women can be so different than for men!

[kittycooks]

on 7/27/2009 Very well written and informative information for heart attack symptoms in women. Thanks for sharing!