Women and Heart Disease: Know the Symptoms, Risk Factors and What to do!

DID YOU KNOW THAT........

Women are more likely than men to suffer a heart attack and experience no pain.

Women who are in high-powered jobs are at higher risk for heart attack than women who are in jobs where they have little or no control over their jobs.

Women who smoke are at higher risk for a heart attack because smoking lowers levels of estrogen

Women suffer heart attacks on average 10 to 15 years later than men because of the hormonal-protection they receive

SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS OF A HEART ATTACK

Pressure, tightness or an ache in the chest area is some symptoms experienced by women having heart attacks. Pain can also be experienced in the back region as well. The pain may last for a few moments and then go away. The pain may also come and go. Not all women experience pain. Any type of chest discomfort should be taken seriously and medical attention should be sought.

Shortness of breath may be experienced along with the chest discomfort. Pain may also be felt in other body part but be related to a heart problem, like pain experienced in the neck or jaw areas. Women experience other symptoms besides pain, symptoms like nausea, vomiting, indigestion, weakness, fatigue, or lightheadedness.

There are also pre-heart attack symptoms that may occur as much as 6 months or 1 week prior to experiencing a heart attack. These symptoms may be felt daily or weekly and include unusual fatigue, sleep disturbances, chest pain, shortness of breath, indigestion, anxiety, shoulder pain or pain in the upper back.

If you have already had one heart attack you have an increased risk to have another heart attack. Other factors that may put you at risk for a heart attack are family history of heart disease, being overweight, smoking cigarettes and having high blood pressure or high cholesterol levels. Your doctor is your best source of risk factor advice.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU SUSPECT YOU ARE HAVING A HEART ATTACK