Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack in Women: An Overview
Many people believe that women do not have
heart attacks. This may explain one reason why research studies show that women are less likely to recognize the
symptoms of a heart attack. Consider the following statistics:
- One in three American women dies of heart disease or a heart attack (1 in 23 women die from breast cancer)
- Thirty-eight percent of women will die within 1 year after having a heart attack
- Within 6 years of having a heart attack, about 46 percent of women become disabled with heart failure
- Two thirds of women who have a heart attack fail to make a full recovery.
It is true that women usually have heart attacks later in life than men do. It is also true that
heart attack symptoms in women can be different from symptoms commonly seen in men.
Common Heart Attack Symptoms in Women
Common symptoms of a heart attack in women include:
- Pain or discomfort (often a pressure-like pain) in or around the chest, shoulders, jaw, neck, back or arms. It may feel like a squeezing, pressing sensation in the chest.
- Indigestion or heartburn-type sensation (see Heartburn or Heart Attack?).
- Nausea (feeling sick to your stomach).
- Fatigue.
- Shortness of breath (feeling like you can't get enough air).
- Sweating.
- Light-headedness.
- Weakness.
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