Each year, more than one million Americans suffer from heart attacks. Half of them will die. What may surprise many readers is that heart attacks strike just as many women as men, with over twice the mortality rate. It is the leading cause of death in women. There are a number of reasons why heart attacks take the lives of so many women. Many confuse the signs of a heart attack as something else less serious. Many fail to seek medical attention, and some are misdiagnosed by health care professionals. It's important for women to recognize the signs and symptoms of a heart attack that are unique to them.
General Heart Attack Symptoms
Movies, television programs and the media have helped educate the public about the signs and symptoms for a heart attack--for men. These include squeezing pain and crushing chest pressure, pain in the shoulders, profuse sweating, pain generating down the left arm or under the jaw and dizziness. Women often experience the same symptoms, but not always.
First Signs of Heart Attacks in Women
For many women, the first symptoms of a heart attack are confused with gastrointestinal problems. Gas-like pain, nausea and vomiting are often the first signs that something is wrong. As a result, they discount their symptoms, thinking they will go away. If they do seek medical attention, they can be misdiagnosed by health care professionals and sent home with instructions to buy antacids.
Other Symptoms
Women should also be on the lookout for symptoms that aren't typically associated with a heart attack. They often describe a sense of impending doom and prolonged chest pain instead of the sudden and acute pain that men feel. Mild to severe pain between the shoulder blades, weakness, dizziness and fatigue are other ignored symptoms. Instead of suffering from an acute attack that their male counterparts experience, their symptoms can go on for weeks or months before they seek treatment.
