Many of us have had the displeasure of witnessing heart attacks in person. They’re scary incidents that can incapacitate our loved ones. Most of the time however, we identify them after we’ve assessed how our elder is feeling with numbness, dramatic chest pain, and dizziness.
However, an oddity that not all people are familiar with is that women do not usually suffer these common symptoms of heart attacks. With evidence backed by WebMD, many doctors have determined several other symptoms that women experience when they suffer from a heart attack.
Whether you’re a family member going out to lunch with their elder or a caregiver looking out for their senior’s safety, it’s always good to know all the symptoms so that you can be prepared in an emergency.
Here are the 7 most common symptoms of heart attacks in women.
Stomach Aches
Stomach aches, pains, and pressure are commonly associated before a heart attack, however many people pass them off as heartburn or the flu – not that those should be taken lightly, but it’s all the more reason to be wary of such pains.
Shortness of Breath
If you or your loved one becomes winded for (seemingly) no apparent reason, then this may be symptomatic of an oncoming heart attack. Note however that on its own, it may be nothing, but it’s especially important to take heed if shortness of breath accompanies one of these other six symptoms as well.
Sweating
Similarly to shortness of breath, unexplained sweating or anxious sweating may be a sign that your elder is at risk of a heart attack.
Chest Pain
Both men and women experience chest pain when a heart attack is involved. However, whereas men may feel paralyzed by pain, women have said that their chest pain feels like an intense squeezing.
Dizziness, Nausea, or Feeling Faint
Again, this is another one to be watchful for because many may attribute their dizziness or light-headedness to the weather or nausea to the flu. While those things should not be taken lightly, this could be symptomatic of a heart attack in women.
Back, Neck, Jaw, or Arm Pain
This is one of the most critical symptoms to be on the lookout for because most people assume that heart attacks are only linked to chest pain – in women, this is not true. If you or your elder is a woman, then they may experience unexplained pain in the back, neck, jaw or arms. If they are, it could mean that a heart attack is imminent regardless of how constant, sudden, or intense the pain is.
Lethargy
Interestingly enough, some women suffer from a heart attack when they are tired or exhausted. We often imagine heart attacks as these explosive moments of pain, but they can be very subtle which is perhaps even more horrifying. Similarly to shortness of breath and sweating, fatigue may occur for no other explainable reason – if that’s the case, then you need to be on the lookout!
