As the Journal of the American College of Cardiology noted in 2020, “Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for women in the United States and around the world,” yet many women tend to underestimate their risk and confuse warning symptoms with fatigue, stress, and nuisance conditions such as the common cold.
Professionals emphasize that a woman’s symptoms for a heart attack could vary from a man’s symptoms, not because they are ‘atypical’ but because they are not often recognized or researched. Cardiologists such as Paula Montana De La Cadena, MD, or Jayne Morgan, MD, criticize how sex biases within the cardiac profession often cause a woman to not receive proper care for a possible heart attack, in a timely manner.
“This listicle article highlights nine symptoms that often receive little notice, and it relies on expert knowledge, stories of sufferers and their experiences, and research findings to draw out their significance as possible red flag symptoms and particularly for women of 30+ years for maintaining their cardiovascular well-being.”
1. Strange Feelings in Arm
Tingling, numbness, and/or arm pain particularly on the left side can sometimes be the first indication that a woman is having a heart attack. Survivor Tara Robinson said that she experienced the sensation of “my arm being asleep. It just kind of came and went before my third, more serious heart attack.” Lilly Rocha reported that she had soreness in her left side, including her arm, jaw, and chest, due to travel exhaustion, until a coworker told her that she should get checked out.
Often attributed to muscle strain and/or a tendency to sleep in a awkward position, this symptom can also be a form of “referred pain” caused by a heart condition, as explained by cardiologists.
2. Persistent Jaw Discomfort
The jaw pain simulating numbness after dental could precede a heart attack by as much as several months. As Robinson writes, “It’s like the feeling going away from Novocaine.” This is often confused with problems in the jaw and dental area, as in the experience of Dr. Jean McSweeney’s patient, where the patient underwent dental procedures before the attack.
One of these is referred pain from the heart. Women should be aware of jaw pain, particularly in conjunction with symptoms of exhaustion and shortness of breath, which may endanger their cardiac function.
3. Nausea and Vomiting
In a 2018 study by Circulation, discomfort in the upper abdomen, including nausea or indigestion, had been experienced by two-thirds of the females under the age of 55 who had had a heart attack compared with half the men. Robinson experienced nausea that had nothing to do with a heart problem during her third heart attack.
Even though there are numerous reasons for gastro-intestinal distress, along with other symptoms of chest pressure or sweating, it becomes a concern for a cardiac issue.
4. Shortness of Breath
A possible early symptom could be the need to prop oneself up in bed in order to breathe. Dr. Steinbaum explains: “The blood vessels aren’t able to provide oxygen. When the arteries get blocked, fluid will go into the lungs because the heart has been damaged.”
This symptom can occur without chest pain, so it can often go unnoticed. Shortness of breath experienced while performing daily tasks is one reason to see a doctor.
5. Extreme Fatigue
Sufferers are also characterized by episodes of unexplained tiredness and lethargy, causing them to neglect everyday activities. Robinson has shared a memory of crawling into her bed after she had cleaned the shower, while another patient could only make one side of her bed before she lay down.
Dr. Morgan writes, “When a woman goes through menopause, her increased lipids put her at risk for a heart attack, and her fatigue may be attributed to her hormonal changes or life stresses. However, if her fatigue doesn’t go away after she rests, she should seek additional care.”
6. Upper-Back Pain
Painful spasms between the shoulder blades may be the sole manifestation of pain in some women. It may be “behind my heart,” as Robinson described it.
Indeed, discomfort of this type, if intensified by activity and possibly accompanied by other symptoms, might point towards the cardiac rather than the musculoskeletal system being involved.
7. Abnormal Chest Sensations
The pain may be more pressure or tightening in the chest rather than the aching character of a heart attack. Rocha felt “electricity shooting out of my chest” several months prior to her heart attack; she feared it might be breast cancer.
Since such emotions might change and are not severe, they tend to go unseen. The presence of any unusual patterns in the region of the chest should be evaluated by a medical professional.
8. Flu-Like Symptoms
Pain in the body, fatigue, and nausea could be similar to what happens when someone has a virus and could cause a woman to brush it aside. Dr. Steinbaum points out that pain in the body that is stronger or unlike what a woman has experienced can be related to a problem with the heart.
Women under the age of 55 who tend to develop early familial coronary disease should exercise particular care when these symptoms emerge in the absence of respiratory infection.
9. High Blood Pressure is Associated with Pregnancy-Related Complications
Hypertensive disorders, such as preeclampsia, gestational hypertension, or gestational diabetes, will double to triple a woman’s risk for developing heart disease, and “failing a stress test” will often not follow up with a visit to a cardiologist, according to Dr. Morgan. Findings of large population studies reveal that the risk of ischemic heart disease and stroke in women with these complications of pregnancy is significantly higher in the decades that follow. Identification of these nine symptoms could mean the difference between life and death.
These symptoms may manifest subtly, alone, or prior to a heart attack occurring. For women, especially those with pregnancy complications, menopause, and a family history, the following symptoms should never be dismissed. Your heart deserves this attention – because it could be the difference between life and death.
