Heart disease, the No. 1 killer in the United States, is responsible for more than 40 percent of all deaths, according to the Mayo Clinic. Women tend to delay seeking medical treatment because their warning signs can mimic other conditions, such as indigestion and anxiety. Women should learn the warning signs of heart disease so they can seek help immediately.
Chest Pain
Women with heart disease may experience a pain or discomfort in the center of their chest that can radiate to their jaw, neck or back, according to the Mayo Clinic. The discomfort--typically described as a pressure, a tight ache or burning sensation--usually develops with some sort of physical exertion but diminishes with rest, according to the American Heart Association. The pain typically lasts longer than a few minutes.
High Blood Pressure
High blood pressure causes the heart to work harder, due to increased resistance within the arteries of the heart, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute states that high dietary salt intake or stress can result in persistent high blood pressure levels, causing serious damage to the body, resulting in coronary heart disease, heart attack, heart failure or stroke.
Palpitations
Women with potential heart disease may experience palpitations, an unpleasant awareness of heart rate. Women describe palpitations as a feeling of the heart beating so hard and fast that it may explode out of their chest, according to Medline Plus. Women typically feel palpitations when their heart rate is over 100 beats per minute. Palpitations can cause abnormal or normal heart rhythms. An abnormal heart rhythm feels as if the person's heart stops beating periodically or skips beats. People typically feel palpitations in their chest, neck or throat. Palpitations increase the risk for heart disease, especially if in conjunction with an irregular heart rhythm.
Shortness of Breath
Heart disease can negatively impact your ability to breathe properly. Individuals with heart disease especially have trouble breathing when doing physical activities such as exercising or climbing stairs. Depending on the severity of the disease it may cause shortness of breath during everyday activities such as showering, walking or doing laundry.
Sweating
Heart disease may cause women's bodies to lose a sense of temperature control, where they're constantly sweating and have cold and clammy skin, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Fatigue
Heart disease can negatively affect women physically, making them feel tired, restless and unmotivated on a regular basis.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Heart Attack Symptoms: Know What Signals a Medical Emergency
- Women's Heart Foundation: Heart Attack: An Action Plan for Women
- American Heart Association: Heart Attack, Stroke and Cardiac Arrest Warning Signs
- Medline Plus: Stress and Anxiety
- National Lung, Heart and Blood Institute: High Blood Pressure
