One negative part of growing old is becoming more prone to diseases. Old-age is inevitable and seldom brings an easy journey. Many take preventive measures to keep away cancer and heart attack symptoms in women and try to stay healthy. But most heart problems don’t come with warning signs. While making lifestyle changes is necessary, you also need to be alert and listen to your body.
You don’t always feel pain on your chest that indicates heartburn. There are some symptoms of heart problems that don’t even start from the chest. Here, we will give you a complete idea about the possibilities of heart attack and how to prevent it.
Table of Contents
Common heart attack symptoms in women
We list you the six most common heart attack symptoms in women so that you can be more alert and take the necessary steps:
1. Chest pain
If you want to know ‘what are the first signs of a heart attack in a woman’, it will primarily be chest pain. They are like mini heart attack symptoms that are early signs of a bigger possible problem.
Chest pain is different from women than it is for men. You might want to squeeze your breasts in pain and think that is the area of pain instead of the chest. The pain in uncomfortable during the attack. It is also an early sign of having an attack any time soon.
2. Pain in back, neck, jaws, and arms
Women who have a tendency of heart problem will experience pain in other places like back, neck, jaws, and arms. Men usually have chest pain only, but women can find other places that pain as well.
This kind of pain can confuse a woman who expects the pain to be on the chest or probably the left arm. However, women least expect a heart attack symptom to reflect through jaw or back pain.
This sort of pain can either come suddenly or gradually, and it can wax and wane before getting severe. This kind of pain can wake you up in the middle of the night and leave you with inexplicable discomfort.
3. Stomach pain
Sometimes women mistake stomach pain and think that they are facing cramps or indigestion. Stomach pain can also be a symptom of heart attack or heartburn, stomach ulcer, and flu. If you ever feel your stomach have a pressure like there’s someone sitting on it, you must consult a doctor and get yourself checked.
4. Shortness of breath
Nausea, lightheaded feeling, and shortness of breath can be reasons to have a heart attack. These are usually coupled with other symptoms like stomach pain and chest pain. If you have a breathing problem without any reason that you know of, you must consult a doctor. You might go breathless as you’ve just run a marathon, and it might indicate a heart disorder.
5. Sweating
Breaking down due to nervousness and cold sweat is common for both and men, and it might mean a heart attack. It feels like stress-related sweating and not the kind you have after a workout. You need to consult a doctor and also know if you feel too warm or have hot flashes.
6. Fatigue
Women who might have a heart attack can be unnecessarily fatigued. You can be sitting still for a while, but still, feel very tired. Many women complain about being tired and feeling it on the chest. You might find it difficult to walk to the washroom if you face such a condition.
Every woman who has chances to get a heart attack will not have such symptoms. But chest pain is common for most. If you find yourself having more than one symptom, you need to go to the doctor immediately.
Heart attack possibility post-menopause
There are more chances of heart attack symptoms in women over 60 than who are below that age. Our estrogen level falls after menopause and that makes the possibility of heart attack increase. You can have symptoms like:
- Discomfort and pain in the arms, jaw, stomach, and back
- Irregular heartbeat
- Extreme chest pain
- Sweating without an activity
Risks of a heart attack in women
It is time you know if you have more risks of having a heart attack:
- Age: women who are over 55 years of age have a higher chance to have a heart attack. Till the time we don’t have menopause our hormones protect us from heart diseases.
- Family history: if you have a male relative who had an attack over 55 years of age or a female one who had an attack after 65 years of age, you have a family history of attacks. You are at greater risk and need to take preventive measures to keep away from heart problems.
- Health condition: there are markers like high-cholesterol and high blood pressure that increase the possibility of a heart attack in both men and women.
- Medical condition: people who have conditions like obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disorders, have more chances to have an attack. They tend to face condition like endometriosis, had preeclampsia during pregnancy, and history of PCOS.
- Lifestyle: Having a good lifestyle is in our hands and maintaining a good one can prevent many diseases. Women who take tobacco, drugs, cocaine, or have sedentary lives have higher risks of heart attack than others.
When do you consult a doctor?
You might not understand the early signs of heart disease but you should not neglect the ones you understand too. Every woman is recommended to have a regular heart checkup after the age of 40. It helps them identify risk factors and treat them within time. Quick intervention reduces the possibility of cardiac arrest.
The heart attack symptoms of women are like warning signs to consult a doctor immediately are:
- Unusual fatigue
- Upper body pain
- Shortness of breath
Your doctor will check the symptoms, blood pressure, heart rate, and might order blood tests or use an electrocardiogram to see the electrical activity of your heart.
How to prevent heart diseases?
The following list of tips will help you have a better lifestyle and keep heart diseases away:
- Going for regular check-ups to know the condition of your heart at all times
- Taking steps to maintain health condition that includes cholesterol, blood pressure, diabetes, and more.
- Quitting tobacco of all forms. There will be a 50% decrease in chances of heart risk only by quitting smoking.
- Not using drugs or stimulants
- Maintaining the right BMI
- Engaging in 30 minutes of physical activity every day like walking, jogging, aerobic activity, and more
- Having a balanced diet recommended by a dietician or nutritionist
Final thoughts
A heart attack is a serious and fatal medical condition that requires treatment immediately. Women tend to have different forms of attack symptoms compared to men. They also have more risk factors than men.
If you follow the steps given above and have a better lifestyle, you can prevent the risk of an attack. Note that the symptoms start showing before the event, so you can get quick medical attention and prevent it completely.