A heart attack, or myocardial infarction (MI), is the most severe type of heart muscle pain, and it’s an indicator that a part of your heart muscle is dying. Most commonly, it is caused by a blockage of fatty deposits, or plaque, in a heart artery that has blocked off blood and oxygen flow to a part of the heart. If caught quickly, doctors can prevent death or severe heart damage by administering blood-thinning medicines or performing an angioplasty to remove arterial blockages.
Each year, about 1.1 million Americans suffer heart attacks and about 460,000 of them are fatal. Those who act quickly and make it to an emergency room often have a good prognosis, so it’s important to learn the early warning signs and not wait to call 9-1-1.
Heart Attacks In Women
In men, chest discomfort is the primary indicator of a heart attack. For women, other symptoms are far more common. In fact, only about 50 percent of women experience chest pain when having a heart attack. Women are more likely to report feeling back or neck pain, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, and extreme fatigue. Women are also far more likely than men to report feeling light-headed or dizzy.
Many of these symptoms aren’t immediately thought of as being related to a heart attack, so it’s important to learn these nine signs so that you or a loved one can act quickly and get help if you believe you may be suffering from one.
Chest Discomfort
Most people suffering from a heart attack will have pain or discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or that comes on, goes away and comes back. It can range from a feeling of pressure or fullness to strong pain.
Upper Body Discomfort
Women who suffer from heart attacks often report pain or discomfort in one or both arms, in the back, neck, jaw or stomach area.
Shortness of Breath/Lightheadedness
Whether or not you experience chest pain, having shortness of breath or difficulty catching your breath can be a sign of a heart attack. Some women have reported feeling like they’ve just run a marathon or completed a grueling workout while sitting still.
Nausea and Stomach Pain
Nausea, vomiting or general epigastric discomfort (upper middle abdominal pain), especially when accompanied by other symptoms, can be an indicator of a heart attack in women. Some women confuse the stomach pain that signals a heart attack with heartburn or flu-like symptoms. Some women experience severe abdominal pressure.
Jaw Pain
Jaw pain, toothaches, and headaches are commonly reported symptoms of women who are suffering heart attacks.
Sweating
A common symptom in women having a heart attack is breaking out in a cold, nervous sweat. It is often compared to a nervous, stress-related sweat, rather than the kind of perspiration we experience after exercising or spending time in the heat.
General Malaise
Many patients who’ve suffered a heart attack have reported a general feeling of illness, or general malaise, leading up to their heart attacks.
Fatigue
Many women who experience the onset of a heart attack feel extreme fatigue, even when they have been sitting still. Women who experience this symptom may find difficulty performing a simple task, like walking to the bathroom.
No Symptoms
About 25 percent of heart attacks are silent -- meaning that they occur without chest pain or new symptoms. Silent heart attacks are especially common in patients with diabetes mellitus.
What Do I Do If I Have These Symptoms?
Women tend to wait longer than men to get to a hospital, according to Dr. Rita F. Redberg, director of Women’s Cardiovascular Services for the UCSF Division of Cardiology in San Francisco. Because women are more likely than men to experience additional symptoms and may feel chest pressure rather than pain, many women hesitate to seek immediate treatment because they are unsure about what they’re experiencing and don’t want to rush to the hospital if they aren’t having a heart attack. But it’s important that you follow these steps if you suspect that you or a loved one is having a heart attack:
Don’t Delay
If you have any of these signs, do not wait more than five minutes before calling for help. It’s imperative that you get immediate medical attention if you believe you may be having a heart attack, even if you don't have the classic chest pain.
Call 9-1-1
Do not try to get yourself to the hospital. If you try to drive, you could have an accident and injure yourself or someone else. You also should not ask a family member or friend to drive you. You need to get to the hospital as quickly as you can, and that means getting a ride in an ambulance and taking advantage of emergency personnel's lifesaving measures as soon as possible.