As National Heart Health Month comes to a close, it is important to consider the importance of making a commitment to getting healthy and minimizing your risk of heart disease. This is particularly important for women because many women fail to realize the severity of this health threat. Yet, heart disease is the Number 1 killer of women and, in fact, more women die from heart disease than all cancers combined.
Women serve many roles and are often responsible for making sure everyone else is taken care of. In the process, many women tend to neglect their own care and ignore signs of illness and other signals their bodies give them. Many women who experience symptoms of heart disease may attribute their symptoms to other causes, such as stress.
Much of the widespread information concerning heart disease, particularly heart attack, is typically more relevant to men. As a result, many women are simply unaware of the ways in which heart disease is manifested in women. Severe chest pain is probably viewed as the most recognizable characteristic of a heart attack, but women sometimes don’t have chest pain at all.
The following heart attack warning signs are too often ignored by women, but should be addressed immediately.
Anxiety
An overwhelming feeling that something is wrong, or feeling unsettled and/or fearful for no apparent reason
Breathlessness
Panting or the inability to hold a conversation
Fatigue
Flu-like symptoms and feeling so tired that it may be too difficult to lift common items like a laptop
Nausea and/or dizziness
Vomiting or feeling at risk of losing consciousness
Non-chest pain
Less severe pain in the upper back, shoulders, neck, jaw, or stomach
Sleeplessness
Difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep, or sleeping soundly
Sweating
Sudden and profuse amounts of perspiration for no obvious reason
Even if you are unsure of your symptoms, don’t wait to go to the ER for fear of bothering someone. Be a little pushy and insist on being seen without delay. The sooner you receive treatment, the greater your chances of surviving a serious cardiac incident.
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