KEY POINTS

  • Heart attack occurs at a time that you would least expect it
  • In women, there are certain symptoms that would occur prior to a heart attack
  • Women must not ignore these signs 

A heart attack may potentially bring you at death’s doorstep if you miss its signs. While the condition has always been associated with excruciating pain in the chest, only a slight pain is felt in some cases. In other instances, discomfort may begin someplace else, such as a stabbing pain in the shoulder or back.

Even if the heart already sustained some damage, you may feel nothing at all and continue performing your regular tasks until you start noticing something is not definitely right. If you want to increase your chances of survival in case of a heart attack, you need to take into cognizance the sensations you feel in your body. For all you know, one of these sensations may be indicating a heart attack.

Heart Attack Symptoms A Woman Should Never Ignore

Women are known to be great deniers when it comes to ailments, and they are very good at dismissing warning signs as normal pains and aches of daily living. This is according to Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon and professor of surgery at CUMC. Because of this, Dr. Oz compiled a list of symptoms that all women should not ignore as such warning signs may indicate a heart attack.

women symptoms of heart attack
women symptoms of heart attack OrnaW - Pixabay

Dr. Oz said that any feelings of tightness, pressure, and squeezing across the chest should be examined by a doctor. Even if it was just a fleeting feeling, women should take note and tell their doctor.

Troublesome Factors

Pain that radiates down one or both shoulders or arms is another warning sign to be aware of, and so is soreness or pain in the neck, back, or jaw. The professor of surgery also took cognizance of the fact that people have various thresholds of pain. What may be regarded as a small annoyance by one could already be very painful to another and vice versa. Another sensation that should not be ignored is shortness of breath, lightheadedness, weakness, dizziness, or sweating.

Dr. Oz revealed that around 70% of women felt very tired and weak or fatigued in days or weeks before suffering from heart attacks. In some cases, a heart attack may be similar to anxiety and may be described as having feelings of impending doom.

Such can wreak havoc on a woman’s body by ushering in feelings of indigestion and nausea. Heart attack symptoms may also include having a blurred vision, lightheadedness, headache, and feeling faint. Palpitations and coughing may also occur.

If you feel any of these and start getting concerned you have a heart attack, Dr. Oz recommends you take an aspirin and immediately call the emergency services.