Men feel chest pain more than women do before and during a heart attack. Women are more prone to feel what is called “Atypical” symptoms. These may be jaw, neck or back pain, nausea, vomiting, indigestion, weakness, fatigue, dizziness, and or light headed. Women do feel chest pain but it is typically not as severe, they may feel pressure, tightness, or an aching sensation. Women should take these pains seriously and report them as we do tend to tolerate pain more effectively and relay the pain differently to the doctor. Other symptoms can include sweating, pain in one or both arms, and shortness of breath. Pre heart attack symptoms or “Prodromal Symptoms” can occur as little as 4 to 6 months prior and up to 2 years prior to a heart attack occurring. These pains are commonly called mini-heart attacks in general. Being aware of these symptoms allows you to get medical attention to prevent heart attack. These symptoms will also be felt just prior to a heart attack but more severely.
An example would be between my father and my mother. For many years my father experienced mini heart attacks, he would have chest pains and mom would drive him to the hospital; half way there he would feel better, the pain would stop and he would have mom turn around and go home thinking it was something he ate causing indigestion. In 1998 my father had some very severe pains that actually got him to the hospital and found out that he had four blockages in his arteries and he had a quadrupole bi-pass the next day. Had he gone to the hospital when he had first experienced the pains he may have been able to solve the problem with medication instead of open heart surgery. Now in 2007 my mother started having problems breathing, when she would walk even for short distances she would get so short of breath she had to stop and sit in order to breath normal. Doctors did all sorts of tests, put her on inhalers and oxygen and limited her from daily activities until the results were back. Finding nothing wrong they decided this was an after affect from having a flu like virus prior to this happening. Myself, having been in the medical field of studies, questioned this diagnosis. I gave her questions to ask her doctor based on all the symptoms she told me. Of course the doctor being a doctor and myself being a student did not seem to think there was anything to further his diagnosis and told her not to worry. Unfortunately the symptoms persisted and got worse, she could no longer even walk to the mailbox, a mere 30 feet from the front door without stopping. This is not something that you just ignore and claim as an after affect of the flu. Finally the doctor woke up and sent mom to a lung specialist, pulmonary tests were done and this doctor sent her on to a heart specialist who found after many more tests that mom had an arterial valve leak. Had this not had been found in time it could have lead to heart attack or even worse heart failure. By mom and myself not giving up and sticking to the doctors until things were done this story ended happily, granted mom had arterial valve replacement but she is healthier, alive and with us today. This is why women should listen to their bodies, even just a simple thing can lead to the heart and this story should show women how differently we are affected when it comes to heart matters other than the strings we have attached to them by our family and friends.
Family history also plays a large part of the increased risk of heart attack in women. Women who have a family history of heart disease have a three fold higher risk than with no family history. Positive family factors include the younger your relatives were with heart disease or heart attack, and the more family members affected. Having one parent with heart disease or heart attack, your risk is twice as high. Both parents with two or more immediately close relatives your chances increase to over four times greater for heart disease or heart attack. A sister or brother with heart disease or a prior heart attack increases your chances over having just a parent or relative who has heart disease or has had a heart attack. These risks are due to a shared lifestyle growing up that increases lifestyle risk factors, bad diet growing up that extends into adult hood, and lack of exercise. Most risk factors are often inherited, knowing which ones are in your family can help you to understand which ones make you at a higher risk, making positive life and dietary changes can help decrease your risk factors. Your family history can also give your doctor the knowledge he or she needs to medically decrease your risk factors and create a safer, healthier you.
hearthealthywomen.org
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