What are the Heart Attack Symptoms in Women?
Heart disease like a heart attack is thought to be more problematic for men. However, it is the cause of death for both men and women equally worldwide. And because heart attack symptoms in women differ from those of men, women often do not know what to look for. Fortunately, there are many symptoms of a heart attack. These symptoms can help a woman to acknowledge themselves and get to know the disease better.
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Heart Attack symptoms in women
Most heart diseases like heart attack occur in the same way as those of men. There is an occurrence of chest pain, pressure on the chest, discomfort in the chest that may last more than a few minutes and come or go in intervals. But chest pain is not always severe in women as compared to those of men. Women often describe their discomfort as tightness in the chest or pressure on the chest. And because it is possible to have heart attack symptoms in women without chest pain, women may suffer different symptoms.
Women may likely have different heart attack symptoms that may be unrelated to chest pain. Women tend to show up in the emergency room after any heart damage has occurred. Also, because these symptoms are more likely to be diagnosed at home without any machinery, these things less often take place with men.
- Pain in neck, jaw, shoulder, upper body, upper back or abdominal or any kind of related discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Painful arm (either one or both)
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- Unusual fatigue
- Indigestion
These symptoms can be vague for some people and often goes unnoticeable as they seem similar to many other diseases. People often ignore these symptoms as they don’t seem to be associated with a heart attack. There is a pain called crushing chest pain that is associated with a heart attack. Because women tend to have blockage not only in their main arteries but also in smaller ones, it leads to blockage of blood in the heart- a kind of condition that is called a small vessel heart attack.
Heart attack symptoms in women tend to have especially when they are resting or sleeping. Emotional stress can also play a role in triggering these symptoms. Because these symptoms seem to be usual and comparable to any disease, women do not usually recognize these symptoms as related to a heart attack.
Factors causing Heart Attack Symptoms in Women
Several traditional factors may lead to coronary artery disease. These diseases may include cholesterol, high blood pressure, and obesity. These particular diseases are likely to affect both men and women. But factors often play a bigger role. These factors may lead to heart disease problems in women.
Factors that lead to heart attack symptoms in women include:
- Diabetes: women with diabetes become more vulnerable to heart diseases like a heart attack. Because diabetes can change the way you feel your body, you may feel a silent heart attack. The possibility of silent heart attack is more in women.
- Mental stress and depression: stress and depression affect both genders in society. Be it, men or women, depression can link to your heart disease, it may lead you to heart disease-related factors.
- Smoking: Smoking is one of the greatest risk factors for heart diseases like heart attack. It is more likely to affect women than men.
- Inactivity: lack of activities may lead to cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure. This is because the person usually takes care of food, sleep, and other comfortable things instead of working on something. This can also lead to obesity that is the major factor for many heart diseases. Some researchers have found that women are more likely to be less active than men.
- Menopause: Many hormonal changes take place after menopause. It may lead to low levels of estrogen in women. It is likely to develop the disease in women and makes them more vulnerable to the majority of diseases like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, etc.
- Pregnancy complications: Pregnancy often causes high blood pressure, diabetes, and creates other major risk factors. It makes the expected mother vulnerable to many diseases that she may not expect. This can also lead to future diseases. These conditions may likely affect women more than men.
- Family history of early heart disease: Family history is also likely to affect women in case someone is affected by heart disease in the family.
- Inflammatory diseases: These diseases can also increase the risk factor of diseases in women.
If you think that you become vulnerable to a heart attack when you become old, you are wrong. There is no connection between age and heart disease. But yes, one thing that can take place is that the immune system becomes weak after age. This can make you vulnerable to diseases and bad health. Also, you may likely develop diseases if you have a family history related to the age factor. This plays a close relation to heart attacks or heart disease in women.
What can be done to overcome the heart attack symptoms in women?
Living or switching to a healthy lifestyle can make you fit and fine from all aspects. You can try the following strategies to get rid of heart-related diseases:
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- Quit smoking: Try to avoid any contact with smoking. Doesn’t matter whether you are a secondary smoker or a first-hand smoker, smoking affects you greatly. It can damage your blood vessels and makes you weak from inside.
- Exercise regularly: Exercises help to a great extent. You can switch to moderate exercise and make a habit of doing it regularly. It will burn the extra calories and fats in your body. This will prevent you from major diseases and their risk factors.
- Maintain a healthy weight: Explore the things which are beneficial to maintain a healthy weight. If you think that you are overweight, lose a few kgs or points and make yourself free from the risk factors. Also, being overweight can lead to many diseases like obesity, high blood pressure, etc.
- Eat a healthy diet: Eat a healthy diet and opt for whole grains. Switch your diet to healthy and raw fruits and vegetables instead of choosing juices and packed food. Try to go for low-fat food, fat-free dairy products, and lean meat. Also, you can avoid saturated and trans fats, preservatives like sugar, and high amounts of salts in packed food.
- Manage your stress: Stress can tighten your arteries supplying blood to your heart. It can increase the risk of heart disease. Also, when you compare the feeling with food, it adversely affects the heart. This is because when you feel stressed, the heart gets under high pressure. The brain starts thinking a lot about different matters. Your mindset for different things changes. This may greatly affect how you look. This can also increase obesity.
- Limit alcohol: If you drink more than a glass of drink, cut it back. One drink should consist of only 360 milliliters of wine and 45 milliliters of distilled spirit or vodka or whiskey.
Other useful links:
Online Doctor consultation app in India
Difference between Cardiac Arrest and Heart Attack
Causes of Hip Pain during Pregnancy
Foods to avoid during pregnancy
Coronary Heart Disease Symptoms
Coronary Bypass Surgery Risk Factors
