Heart Attack Warning Signs in Women: Symptoms, Risk Factors and When to Call 911

What it involves

MedlinePlus explains that a heart attack happens when blood flow to the heart suddenly becomes blocked, so the heart muscle cannot get oxygen and begins to die if it is not treated quickly. It also says that in the United States heart disease is the number one cause of death in women, and that women are often diagnosed more slowly than men because their symptoms can be different and some types of heart disease are harder to diagnose.

Who this is for

• Women who want to know the warning signs of a heart attack before they ever need them.
• Patients with high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, a history of smoking or a family history of heart disease.
• Women who have gone through menopause and want their heart risk reviewed.
• Anyone with ongoing tiredness, breathlessness or chest discomfort who is unsure whether it is serious.

What to expect

• Questions about your symptoms, family history, pregnancy history and daily habits
• Blood pressure, heart and lung checks, and blood work that includes cholesterol and blood sugar
• An EKG at the Loxahatchee and West Palm Beach offices when it is appropriate for your symptoms
• A plan for risk factors, and a referral to a cardiologist for further testing when the picture calls for it

Call 911 first, then ask questions later

MedlinePlus is direct on this point: if you have symptoms of a heart attack, call 911 even if you are not sure it is a heart attack, because emergency crews can start treatment as soon as they arrive and calling gets you care faster. Do not drive yourself and do not wait for an office appointment. The chest pain guide explains which chest symptoms are an emergency and which can be booked as a visit, and the sick visit, urgent care or ER guide covers the wider choice.

Symptoms that are easy to explain away

MedlinePlus says women may feel unusual fatigue, indigestion, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, stomach pain and shortness of breath during a heart attack, along with chest pressure and pain in the upper back, arms, neck or jaw. It adds that attacks often do not look dramatic: symptoms can be mild, can start slowly, and can stop and come back. Women are somewhat less likely than men to have chest pain. The heartburn and acid reflux guide and the shortness of breath guide describe milder causes of the same complaints. Chest pain that is sharp and changes with breathing or position is sometimes pericarditis rather than a heart attack, as the pericarditis chest pain guide explains, but nobody can tell the difference at home, so call 911 first.

Risk factors that are specific to women

MedlinePlus says risk rises with menopause and with a family history of early heart disease, and it lists problems during pregnancy such as high blood pressure and gestational diabetes, hormonal birth control, endometriosis, polycystic ovary syndrome, autoimmune disease, metabolic syndrome, stress, smoking, obesity, diabetes and low HDL cholesterol. Several of these are conditions primary care already manages. The polycystic ovary syndrome guide and the metabolic syndrome guide explain two of them.

Checking your heart before a crisis

A routine visit is the time to ask about your heart. A provider reviews blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar, and can talk through whether a heart tracing makes sense. The practice lists EKG and blood work among its services, and the EKG is offered at the Loxahatchee and West Palm Beach offices, with details on the Loxahatchee EKG page and the West Palm Beach EKG page. The lipid panel guide shows how cholesterol numbers are read.

Lowering your risk over time

MedlinePlus lists the risk factors you can change: quitting smoking, managing cholesterol and blood pressure with diet, exercise and medicine, controlling blood sugar, staying active and at a healthy weight, and finding healthy ways to cope with stress. Age, sex, family history and ethnicity cannot be changed, so the changeable ones matter more. The quitting smoking guide, the blood pressure readings guide and the simple habits that support heart health page are places to start.

Sources

• MedlinePlus: Heart Disease in Women (health topic)
• MedlinePlus: Heart Attack (health topic)