Women get heart disease…. it’s not just men! Read our guide on what to watch out for and when to seek help!
Heart disease kills more than twice as many women as breast cancer in the UK every year. One of the common presentations is a heart attack.
Common symptoms of a heart attack:
Chest pain remains the most common symptom. The pain or discomfort may spread to one or both of your arms, or may spread to your neck, jaw, back or stomach.
Other symptoms include:
- Shortness of breath
- Feeling clammy or sweaty
- Sudden dizziness or light headedness
- Sudden feeling of panic
- Palpitations
It’s important to recognise that symptoms of a heart attack in women may sometimes be less typical and more subtle. For example, symptoms of a heart attack can present as:
Excessive fatigue
Indigestion
Back pain
Persistent coughing or wheezing?
When symptoms are less obvious, there can be a delay in making the diagnosis so it’s important that the heart is on the radar!
Did you know that …..
Research from the British Heart Foundation has previously shown that women having a heart attack are up to 50 per cent more likely than men to receive the wrong initial diagnosis and are less likely to get a pre-hospital ECG.
Furthermore, a team of American Researchers from the Penn Centre for scientific Resuscitation found that in the event of a cardiac arrest in a public place, a man is more likely to be given life-saving cardiac massage than a woman. Out of 19,331 heart attacks recorded the specialists report that 45% of men had received cardiac massage in a public place compared to 39% of women and their chances of survival was 23% higher than those of women.
Remember, early recognition and treatment of a heart attack is important to minimise damage to the heart, so if you have symptoms that you suspect may be a heart attack, call 999 immediately. Don’t worry if you’re not entirely sure. Don’t worry about looking silly either! it’s better to get checked out promptly.
If you are concerned about your health, or would like to find out more about Heart Disease Symptoms in Women why not book a free 10 minute chat with us today – Click here.
