A heart attack is when the blood flow to the heart is interrupted or blocked. This is usually caused by a blood clot in the vein leading to the heart. Risk factors for a heart attack include smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity, stress, and a family history of heart disease or heart attack. The Mayo Clinic reports that men are more prone to having a heart attack than women, but that a woman's risk rises after she goes through menopause. There are some symptoms that are common to both men and women suffering from a heart attack, and other symptoms that tend to occur only in women.
Typical Heart Attack Symptoms
Some heart attack symptoms affect both men and women. Chest pain is the most common sign of heart attack. This pain can be moderate to severe. It may be constant or may come and go. It can be described as aching, pressure, squeezing or a fullness. The pain may radiate into your arm, shoulder, abdomen, back, jaw, or teeth. Other common symptoms affecting both men and women are shortness of breath, anxiety or panic attacks, lightheadedness, sweating, nausea and vomiting. The Mayo Clinic states that while some heart attacks occur with no warning, many others are preceded by chest pain known as angina, or cardiac ischemia.
Heart Attack Symptoms in Women
While most women who have heart attacks experience chest pain, women can also have heart attacks without typical heart pain. They may have other symptoms, though, such as discomfort in the shoulder, neck, or back; pain in the abdomen that might be confused with heartburn; unusual fatigue; and feeling lightheaded or dizzy. Clammy skin or a sense of impending doom are also symptoms that women may experience.
Things for Women to Know
According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, half of all heart attack deaths occur in women. Women may feel as though they're not at the same risk for heart attack as men, and may delay in seeking treatment. Another reason for the delay in treatment may be that women are somewhat less likely to suffer from chest pain during a heart attack, so they may attribute their symptoms to other conditions. At the time of their first heart attack, a woman is an average of ten years older than a man having his first heart attack. For this reason, a woman may be more likely to have risk factors such as high blood pressure or diabetes. Call 911 immediately if you have reason to believe that you are having a heart attack. Do not waste time trying to decide if your symptoms are serious enough to seek emergency medical help.
