Heart Attack Symptoms For Women, Are They Different?

Heart attack symptoms for women, you know, the typical chest pain (which also applies to men), isn't always the most noticeable in women......

You'd be wondering: A heart attack is a heart attack, does it matter whether it happens to a man or a woman? Why talk about heart attack symptoms specific to women?

Well, in a sense, a heart attack is a heart attack but at the time of the attack, it may look different between a man and a woman. However, the end result is the same for both, though.

(P/s: A heart attack takes place when part of the heart muscle's dying due to lack of blood flow; it usually means a blockage in the heart artery)

Let's see what are the most common symptoms of a heart attack first, then only zero-in for those that are more specific to women.

1. 70% of people will experience some type of symptom in their chests but it may not necessarily be a pain; it could be a pressure or burning and may move up to their shoulders, or jaw or neck or back.

On the other hand, some people may not have much chest pain at all - they just have discomfort or pressure in their back or between their shoulder blades.

2. Many will also experience shortness of breath; get nausea; get maybe even vomiting and think they have the stomach flu.

3. Some could get very sweaty and clammy and break out in a cold sweat; have palpitations or feel lightheaded.

You can see that the symptoms are wide-ranging.

Now, we'll see what are some symptoms that are more specific to a woman when it comes to heart attack.

The truth is, there aren't really symptoms that can be termed as "women symptoms" when it comes to heart attack.

However, if we look at the wide range of symptoms (for men and women), women may be more likely to have pain not in their chests but maybe in their shoulders or between their shoulder blades and may have more of GI symptoms, meaning nausea or vomiting or feeling of an upset stomach.

But... There are still lots of men who have that and lots of women who have the typical chest pain....

Hence, what we should be looking for is this - to know what all the symptoms are.

Having said that, you still want to know what should a woman do if she's not having the typical symptoms, right? Maybe she's got nausea or lightheadedness or feeling sweaty or clammy.... and she's worried that this might be a heart attack.

What should she do?

Well, I think she should do these 3 things, at least:

a. If this is a new symptom that she's never experienced before and it's lasting more than a few minutes and she feels really unwell, she would need to call her doc or 911

b. On the other hand, if it's a symptom that she's had before and an antacid has worked for it, it's fine to try the antacid and see if that works

c. If she suspects she might be having a heart attack, she should tell her doc that (because a doctor may not know especially if she doesn't look like the typical heart attack "type") and get tested for a heart attack.