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Heart Attacks in Women
by Ariana Ayu, DSc, RN
August 2009
The man gasps, clutches his chest in pain, moans that he has numbness, pain, and
tingling down his left arm, and everyone watching knows he’s having a heart
attack. A woman notices that over a period of a month she has indigestion,
anxiety, trouble catching her breath, swollen ankles, and difficulty sleeping.
Then, she suddenly notices these symptoms increase with the added inconvenience
of cold sweats, nausea, and an insistent feeling of something “not being right.”
When her heart stops, even her doctor is surprised.
Did you know that women typically have different heart attack symptoms than men?
Research shows that women’s heart attack symptoms are more varied, and less
obvious than those typical in men. In addition, women suffering heart attacks do
typically not report chest pain as a symptom, or it is disguised as indigestion,
pressure, or heartburn. Both men and women can have heart attacks without pain
and with other unusual symptoms. However, women who have heart attacks are much
more likely to have recurrent heart attacks, and when they do, they are more
likely to be fatal. (In 2005, women represented almost 53% of US deaths from
cardiovascular disease, according to the American Heart Association, over ten
times the number of fatalities from breast cancer.)
If you have any family or personal history of heart disease, heart attacks, or
other cardiovascular (meaning the heart and the blood vessels) problems, it is
important to see a Cardiovascular specialist. Your regular doctor is good to go
to when you have a cold, but do you really want to risk your health on someone
whose job it is to know enough about every part of your body? Wouldn’t you
rather see a doctor who specializes in an area that you may be genetically
predisposed to (or predisposed due to lifestyle factors such as obesity and
smoking) having problems?
As we age our muscles weaken and have a more difficult time receiving and using
necessary oxygen and nutrients. You heart is a muscle, albeit one we cannot see.
Do yourself and your loved ones a favor and take care of it, it’s the only one
you’ve got.
For more information about women and heart disease, go to the American Heart
Association’s Website: Go Red For Women (www.GoRedForWomen.org)
And hey, if you notice those above symptoms, call 911 and chew an aspirin (it’ll
get it into your bloodstream faster than swallowing it).
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