Cardiac Care:
symptoms
According to the American Heart Association, of the 500,000 annual deaths from cardiovascular disease, approximately 267,000 women die from heart attacks--that’s six times as many as those who will die from breast cancer. Why do so many women die from heart attacks? It could be because heart attack symptoms in women are different than in men and many women do not even realize they are having a heart attack until it is too late.
Typically, men may experience any one of these symptoms before having a heart attack: chest discomfort or pain, upper body pain, stomach pain, shortness of breath, anxiety, lightheadedness, sweating and nausea. Women may have all, none or a few of these classic symptoms and are more likely than men to also have symptoms unrelated to chest pain such as:
• Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea or vomiting
• Abdominal pain or heartburn
• Sweating
• Lightheadedness or dizziness
• Unusual or unexplained fatigue
If a woman thinks she is having a heart attack, she should call for help immediately. Getting treatment quickly improves the chances of survival.