Heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the U.S. Chest discomfort or pain is the most important early warning sign of heart disease and potential heart attack.
Symptoms of a heart attack may be different for women. Research shows that women who have heart attacks often wait longer than men to seek emergency medical help. One possible reason is that women sometimes have symptoms that are different from the ones most often associated with a heart attack. As a result, they may not even realize they are in trouble. Watch for the following signs that are common in women:
discomfort or pain in your upper body or chest such as pressure, squeezing or tightness lasting more than a few minutes
pain that moves to your shoulders, neck, arms, jaw, teeth or back and is spread around. Other possible locations of pain caused by heart problems are midchest, shoulders, elbows, upper abdomen or fingers.
sudden weakness and/or unusual tiredness, lightheadedness, sweating, or shortness of breath, nausea or loss of appetite.
The key to surviving a heart attack is to recognize warning signals quickly and get medical help right away.
Did you know?
One in eight women aged 45 to 64 has heart disease; this risk increases to 1 in 4 for women older than age 65.
Women's heart disease risk starts to increase significantly at menopause.
Younger women who smoke and take birth control pills increase their risk of a heart attack 10 times.
Women can lower their heart disease risk by as much as 82 percent by leading a healthy lifestyle.