Men and women experience heart attacks in different ways, so it’s important to recognize the symptoms so that you can get help right away. Although chest pain or discomfort may affect both men and women, women are more likely than men to also have additional symptoms. These are a few indicators of a female heart attack:
- Chest discomfort or pain: This may feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
- Pain or discomfort in other areas of the upper body: This can include one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
- Shortness of breath: Women may experience breathlessness even without chest discomfort.
- Nausea or vomiting: Some women may feel nauseous or may vomit during a heart attack.
- Sweating: Breaking out in a cold sweat, often described as clamminess, can occur.
- Lightheadedness or dizziness: Feeling dizzy or lightheaded can be a symptom of a heart attack, especially for women.
- Unusual or unexplained fatigue: This can be a subtle symptom in women. Even if there isn’t any accompanying chest pain, it is still a sign of heart issues.
Other than chest pain, women are more likely to experience other symptoms after a heart attack, and these symptoms may be milder. Unfortunately, as a consequence of this, women who are undergoing a heart attack might not identify the signs and seek medical assistance later than men do, which can result in treatment being delayed.
It is critical for both men and women to be aware of these symptoms and to seek emergency medical assistance without delay if they have any reason to believe that they or another person may be experiencing a heart attack.
