As improbable as it sounds, women have different ways of dealing with heart attack than men. In most cases, women might have a more silent symptom or sign of a heart attack. This, therefore, means that women have to be more aware of any changes in their body as his can already be a sign of a higher propensity for an attack.
Chest Pain or Discomfort
While both men and women might feel a crushing sensation in the chest area that radiates to the extremities, women typically feel experience mostly a fullness in the chest area, not just in the right side. The experience is typically likened to having a vise tightened around the chest area.
Radiating Pain in Extremities
Women are more likely to experience radiating pain the arms, back, neck, and jaw than men. The pain can either be gradual or sudden, with some occasions leaving the patient feeling a waxing and waning of the discomfort. Because of the nature of the discomfort, many women do not realize that they are already suffering some form of heart attack.
Stomach Pain
It is easy to mistakenly think of a stomach pain as a simple case of food not agreeing with your stomach. In truth, what you see as a stomach pain could already be a form of heartburn, a stomach flu, or a stomach ulcer – all of which could already be signals that a heart attack is about to occur. In some cases, women would feel as if there is an intense pressure being applied around the abdominal area. When that happens, make sure you get hold of a medical professional immediately.
Sweating
Women who are about to have a heart attack will typically experience cold sweat more than the usual, and even when there are no stressful situations involved. You have to keep in mind that the sweat that you would experience would be different from the usual one that you get after an exercise or if the room is hot. In some cases, the sweating might be accompanied by fatigue and the general feeling of tiredness even when one is already at rest.
Now, as with men, certain factors can increase the risk of a heart attack. Some of these factors would include smoking heavily, indulging in extremely stressful situations particularly in work, and a sedentary lifestyle. By changing or taking control of these factors, you are able to lessen the risk for a heart attack. You have to remember that, in women, the no. 1 cause of death is heart attack.
Keep in Mind:
If you or someone you know is living with a heart condition or has a high risk for a heart attack, the best thing to do is to make sure that you have an AED unit in place. It also helps if you, or someone who lives with you, has been trained to provide emergency CPR when the situation calls for it. In the same line, however, you have to keep in mind that these symptoms may or may not appear at all in some patients.
