Is It Just Nerves or is It a Heart Attack? What Women Should Know.

Work has been frantic today, you just barely avoided a car accident on the way home and when you get home, you realize your dog is out and running loose.  You do your best to get the house organized and prepare dinner in time for the family.  After dinner, you notice that you feel a little dizzy.  Dinner is talking back to you in the form of burps and heartburn.  You notice a tight pain in your neck.  Are you just stressed out from a tough day?  You would be wise not to assume your symptoms are from anxiety, especially if you are diabetic or over age 65.

A “Silent” Killer

Heart disease kills more women that breast cancer.  Many women check their breasts for lumps every month, but fail to take preventive measures to keep their hearts healthy.  What is worse, signs of heart attack in women are often more subtle than in men.  Women are more likely to suffer a “silent” heart attack and to die after such an event.  This is why you should know the signs of heart attack and advocate for yourself when you seek treatment.

The most common symptoms of heart attack in both men and women are:

• Feeling of tightness in your chest
• Chest pain
• Sudden and intense sweating
• Pain in your arm, neck, back, jaw or chest
• Feeling winded or fatigued during physical activity

Signs that often go unnoticed in women are:

• Heartburn and burping
• Dizziness
• Racing heart
• Sudden nausea

Doctors Just Don’t Know

Unfortunately, studies of heart disease have mainly focused on men for the last 40 years.  There is no solid evidence pointing to the differences in men and women when it comes to a heart attack.  No one knows what the “classic” heart attack symptoms are for a woman.  In addition, it is easy for hospital personnel and the patient herself to misinterpret signs of a heart attack as indigestion or anxiety. 

How Can You Tell if it is a Heart Attack?

If you have even a small suspicion that you are having a heart attack, you should seek treatment immediately.  You are more likely to be having a heart attack if you symptoms become worse with physical activity and lessen or go away with rest. 

When your heart is working harder to fuel your body’s activity, the signs of heart attack will be more prominent and will subside when you rest.  You may notice that you are having trouble completing a workout that you are normally able to finish easily.  You may notice a strong sense of nausea that subsides when you sit down to rest. 

It is also easy to misconstrue a heart attack as anxiety.  When we become anxious, our hearts can quicken their pace.  If your heart is beating fast and you also notice a sense of dizziness or vertigo, or if you begin to feel winded, you should seek immediate treatment for a possible heart attack. 

Speak Up for Yourself

If you have any of the symptoms listed here, make sure you seek immediate emergency treatment.  Tell the emergency personnel that you suspect you are having a heart attack.  If the doctor diagnoses another cause of your symptoms, like ulcer or anxiety, demand an EKG and blood test to confirm the diagnosis. 

If you assume your symptoms are simply the result of anxiety or indigestion, you are putting your life in danger.  Any of the symptoms of a possible a heart attack should give you immediate concern.  If you can recognize a heart attack early and seek immediate treatment, your chances of a swift recovery are much greater.