As women, particularly women of color, knowing the symptoms of a heart attack is imperative for our health and livelihood.
Black women of any age have a higher incidence of heart attacks in comparison to white women. The risk factors, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and obesity, are also higher in black and Hispanic women versus white women.
Heart attacks in women: An overview
Heart attacks and cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death for women, although the survival rate for women has improved. Still, the death rates in women for heart attacks outpace the death rates in men, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
What causes heart disease in women
One frequent cause of a heart attack in women is plaque buildup in the arteries. Women suffer blood vessel damage, which reduces the blood flow to the heart, then causes a heart attack.
The pain from a heart attack occurs when one of the arteries supplying blood to the heart becomes blocked.
In addition to the comparison with white women, high blood pressure and diabetes are stronger risk factors in women versus men as well.
Women are reported to be less likely referred for cardiac rehabilitation in comparison to men and less likely to complete the rehabilitation if they are referred. The same is the case for guideline medications – they are less used by women.
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Signs of a heart attack in women
If you are experiencing the symptoms and signs of a heart attack, please call 911 as soon as possible and/or get to the hospital for emergency attention as soon as possible.
You will feel the following in the center of your chest: fullness, pain, pressure, or squeezing. These feelings may last for more than a few minutes, or they will go away and return.
You may also experience a shortness of breath, whether there’s a feeling of discomfort in your chest or not.
There may also be discomfort or pain in one or both arms, the back, jaw, neck, or stomach.
Finally, you may break out in a cold sweat, feel lightheaded, or experience nausea.
Although women experience discomfort or pain in the chest as a common heart attack symptom, same as in men, women do have different symptoms that men do not necessarily experience, and the result can be deadlier if not observed and acted upon. Some of the symptoms commonly seen in women who experience heart attacks include:
- Back or jaw pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Shortness of breath
Other common feelings of experiencing a heart attack include:
- Anxiety
- Feeling of doom
- Heartburn
- Indigestion
- Palpitations
- Shoulder discomfort
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Tips for women's heart health
Women are advised to implement a more active and healthier lifestyle, with a focus on regular exercise, a healthy diet, and no smoking.
In addition, women should try to be more aware of the numbers for the following:
- Blood glucose
- Blood pressure
- Body mass index (BMI)
- Cholesterol
- Waist circumference
Knowing these numbers, and what they mean for your health as well as setting up goals according to where your numbers should be for each of these points – will be beneficial overall.
Other ways to prevent or reduce the risk of heart disease are implementing the following:
- Adding and following a treatment plan
- Limiting alcohol
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Managing stress and other health conditions
Again, do not hesitate to seek medical attention immediately if concerned, but you can also keep track of your heart rate at home if you become concerned.
Checking and measuring your pulse (using a watch and counting the taps you feel placing your fingers on the inner wrist) can give you an idea of your heart rate, which is the number of times your heart beats per minute.
These tips and warnings will not only benefit women, but everyone, in managing heart disease and prevention.
