Article by Alan Katz
Heart attack or myocardial infarction results from the death of heart tissues because of complete blockage in one of the coronary arteries. Symptoms of heart attack in women are different than those in men. Women may have some additional symptoms than discomfort and chest pain.
Most people think that heart attack symptoms are the same in men and women. But that’s not the fact. Heart attack symptoms are significantly different in women and men. First let’s known about what is a heart attack? Heart is a muscular organ that plays an important role in circulation of blood throughout the body. When one of the coronary arteries that supply blood to heart is completely blocked, it causes death of heart tissues resulting in heart attack or myocardial infarction. In most cases, coronary heart disease, arteriosclerosis, causes the blockage of coronary artery. Besides, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, heredity, age, high fat diet, stress, lack of exercise and smoking are some common causes of heart attack.
Heart Attack in Women
Heart attack is one of the main causes of death in women after breast cancer. Over-weight women with high cholesterol levels are at a higher risk of heart attack. After menopause, due to changes in hormonal levels (estrogen), women are more prone to heart attack. Obesity, stress, smoking, diabetes, high levels of LDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, inactive lifestyle and family history of coronary disease are some of the risk factors for heart attack in women. Women taking birth control pills are also more vulnerable to this disease.
Early Heart Attack Symptoms in Women
The most common symptoms of heart attack, observed in both men and women, are chest pain, discomfort or pressure in the chest, upper body pain, shortness of breath, sweating, anxiety, nausea and vomiting. However, these symptoms are more severe in men than in women. Some major symptoms that a woman may experience prior to heart attack are unusual fatigue, sleep disturbances, anxiety, indigestion and shortness of breath.
Some of the common heart attack symptoms in women are as follows: * Shortness of breath, not accompanied by chest pain * Sweating * Tightness in chest * Sudden dizziness or loss of consciousness * Feeling of heartburn or indigestion * Stomach or abdominal pain * Flu-like symptoms, cold sweats and nausea * Unexplained weakness and fatigue * Loss of appetite, general discomfort and a feeling of anxiety * Pain in neck, lower jaw, shoulder and upper back * Sense of impending doom
Weakness, shortness of breath and unusual fatigue are the three most common symptoms that are seen mostly in women before heart attack. In addition, women more typically experience nausea, lightheadedness and cold sweats. On the other hand, men more often experience severe chest pain as the major symptom of heart attack.
Understanding the early symptoms of heart attack is helpful for accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment. It is difficult to diagnose heart attack in women due to somewhat unrelated symptoms. That’s why it is possible that women’s heart attack remains neglected and left untreated. When women experience any of above-mentioned symptoms, they should immediately contact the doctor. As heart attack is a medical emergency, it is very important to get immediate medical treatment. Diagnosis of heart attack is done on the basis of electrocardiogram (EKG) and some laboratory investigations such as serum troponin levels and determination of cardiac enzymes such as Creatine phosphokinase, Creatine phosphokinase-MB, etc.
The treatment of heart attack focuses on immediately opening the blocked artery and restoring the blood flow to heart muscles. There are various treatment options such as anti-platelet medications, anti-coagulant medications, clot dissolving medications, coronary angiography with percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty, medications to reduce the need for oxygen by the heart muscles, medications to prevent abnormal heart rhythms and supplemental oxygen.
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Most do not realize that the symptoms for a woman experiencing an heart attack differ from that of the male symptoms. Read the article and make notes, remember this one key issue, the life you save may be your very own.
A little side note: it’s your body – you know it better than anyone else. If things are not right seek help. Back in 2004, had lost 25 pounds. Two weeks before going on vacation, I kept going numb down my left side, I would check to see if my left foot was on the ground before I would move my right foot.
My wife took me the emergency room at the local hospital, I told them it was just a pinced nerve, yet, after 2 days of expensive testing the doctor came in and told me that I may be right it must be a pinched nerve. I have found over the years with any excessive weight gain or loss in a short period of time, the body needs time to adjust to its new shape. I remember one simple statement from 8th grade science, “For every action there is an equal reaction”
Knowing your body is the key, as well as gathering all the medical history from your parents and grandparents. As humans we tend to inherit major health issues.
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