According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), heart attack symptoms in women are often much different from those in men. In fact, according to recent studies, women may experience symptoms of a pending heart attack for up to thirty days preceding the episode itself. The problem is that most women don’t know what symptoms to look for, and are therefore unable to seek preventative treatment. If you think that you might be at risk for a heart attack — or even if you don’t — it helps to know what you should be watching out for.
Fatigue
Approximately 95% of women who have had heart attacks report that they experienced extreme fatigue in the thirty days before their heart attack. This is one of the major differences between men and women where heart attacks are concerned because men often feel fine until the moment when the infarction begins. In most cases, the fatigue is combined with sleep disturbance; women feel tired, but have trouble sleeping through the night and may wake up several times for no apparent reason. When they awake, they may feel a bit short of breath, as though they have been running.
No Chest Pain
Another difference between men and women when it comes to heart attacks is chest pain. Studies show that most men feel acute chest pains during the six hours leading up to a heart attack, though nearly 40% of women feel no pain at all. While they might experience some shortness of breath and may have difficulty breathing deeply, they don’t feel the acute pain and pressure typically associated with heart attack symptoms.
Shoulder & Back Cramping
It is fairly well-known that most men experience numbness or cramping in the arms just before a heart attack. The study conducted by the NIH revealed that women experience no such sensation. They are more likely to experience cramping and/or numbness in the shoulders and back rather than in the arms. Surprisingly, many women also reported pain in the neck and jaw in the days leading up to a heart attack, which hasn’t been adequately explained by medical professionals.
Flu-Like Symptoms
Another surprising discovery when investigating heart attack symptoms in women is that many feel flu-like symptoms in the thirty days leading up to a heart attack. Sneezing, fever, dizziness, weakness and even vomiting are not uncommon. Obviously, this is a difficult sign to identify because flu symptoms are common to many diseases and disorders, but these symptoms are often combined with pressure in the chest, neck and back.
Indigestion & Anxiety
Finally, women have also reported experiencing both indigestion and anxiety before a heart attack. Some have even had panic attacks in the hours before, which might constitute an early warning sign. The indigestion felt before an infarction is usually not eased by over-the-counter medications and may continue for several days unabated.
The NIH study demonstrates that women and men are very different when it comes to heart attacks. If you are in an at-risk situation, you should pay attention to these symptoms and see a cardiologist if they occur. It is always better to catch it early and deal with the problem before it becomes a life-threatening issue.
