Heart attack or cardiac arrest is a major cause of death, and women are not far behind men on that count. And it is not necessary that a heart attack will be preceded by an acute pain in the chest. Sometimes the warnings may not be very obvious, and definitely nothing in the traditional sense we look at heart attack. A lot of women die early due to fatal heart attacks because they couldn’t read the early symptoms. But if you observe your body closely it does give out several symptoms of heart attack in women.
Today, we try to identify six subtle symptoms of heart attack in women.
1. Ache in the jaw, back and neck
A lot of women experience a sharp stabbing pain in the arm or their back, even neck or jaw, and this could be an early sign of heart attack. A lot of women misinterpret this symptom and dismiss it as just another niggling pain, but the seriousness comes about when this pain shoots up your arm, travels to your neck and back causing you grave discomfort. If you experience any such extreme, shooting pain above your waist, in any of these body parts do not take it lying down. Make an appointment with your doctor.
2. Nausea, breathlessness and giddiness
You are otherwise quite fit, but of late you have been complaining of shortness of breath at the slightest physical activity such as climbing a flight of stairs. This could be among the plausible symptoms of heart attack in women. Some women also feel nauseous, lightheaded in the middle of a busy day, and wonder what went wrong suddenly. Agreed, you could be tired on a given day, but this sudden drop in blood pressure can be a definite cause of alarm, and you should never ignore such signs.
3. Heaviness of chest and pain
This is the most easily identified symptom of heart attack. But did you know men and women experience chest pain very differently? Unlike men, women don’t feel a sharp pang on the left side of their chest where the heart resides, instead they may feel a sort of heaviness of chest and grave discomfort, as if they are carrying a huge load and makes them immovable. This is among the sure-fire symptoms of heart attack in women, and you should call your heart specialist immediately.
4. Extreme exhaustion
Fatigue in women is construed as a sign of heart attack. Usually before a fatal heart attack women shows sign of tiredness even with the lightest physical activity, their stamina is at an all time low. Even a walk around in the house can tire them. If you have been feeling this tired of late, please waste no time in bringing it up with your doctor.
5. Stomach ache
Now this might come as a surprise to many. Usually stomach ache is read as a sign of stones in the bladder, or stomach ulcer or heartburn, but seldom as the onset of a cardiac arrest. Women with this symptom experience a heaviness in their stomach followed by an extreme abdominal pain. No, you are not having your menses or such like. This isn’t normal, and you must speak to your doctor if you experience this.
6. Profuse sweating
It is not so hot, yet you break into cold sweat. This could be among the symptoms of heart attack in women. Usually this sweating is a result of palpitation and anxiety more than a change in weather, and you feel so nervous that you start to sweat profusely. This kind of sweating is not the normal perspiration you have from taking a brisk walk or working out, but a result of stress. If you do not normally sweat so much, you have a reason to be very concerned.
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