Women’s heart attack symptoms differ from men’s

Women’s heart attack symptoms are different — and often silent, a Teche Regional Medical Center news release said. February is American Heart Month and Teche Regional urges families to celebrate the women they love by encouraging them to care for their own health.
Friday is National Wear Red Day to promote awareness of heart-health issues in women.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, responsible for 1-in-4 female deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While heart disease is often associated with men, coronary heart disease, the most common type of heart disease, is the leading killer of both men and women in the United States.
Nearly two-thirds of women who die of coronary heart disease have no prior symptoms. Sometimes a heart attack occurs without warning; other times symptoms are triggered by physical activity or stress, according to the news release.
Those women who do experience symptoms often do not recognize that they are signs of a heart attack, as the warning signs for women are different than the more well-known warning signs men experience.
Warning signs and symptoms women may experience before a heart attack include:
—Sharp, burning chest pain.
—Fluttering in the chest, also known as arrhythmia.
—Pain in the neck, jaw, abdomen or throat.
—Upper back pain.
—Indigestion or heartburn.
—Nausea or vomiting.
—Extreme fatigue.
—Upper body discomfort.
—Shortness of breath.
—Swelling of the feet, ankles, legs or abdomen.
Women and Heart Disease
Not only are women’s heart attack symptoms different, but also, certain heart diseases are more likely to affect women, such as coronary microvascular disease and broken heart syndrome, the news release stated. These lesser-known heart diseases are just as deadly, and share common symptoms with coronary heart disease.
Coronary MVD, also known as cardiac syndrome X or non-obstructive coronary heart disease, damages the walls of the heart’s tiny arteries. Researchers believe that the drop in estrogen levels during menopause, along with other heart disease factors, is a primary reason that women are more likely to have the disease.
Broken heart syndrome is heart muscle failure caused by extreme emotional stress. Also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy, broken heart syndrome is often misdiagnosed as a heart attack because it has similar symptoms. However, broken heart syndrome does not involve blocked arteries and patients usually make a full recovery.
Teche Regional said to lower the risk of heart disease by knowing heart attack symptoms and practicing good preventive habits such as exercising regularly, eating a nutritious diet, avoiding smoking, and controlling blood pressure.
As a Chest Pain Center accredited by the Society for Cardiovascular Patient Care, Teche Regional Medical Center has committed to a higher standard of care for emergency cardiac services, continual quality improvement in heart care, and providing the community education and resources, according to the news release.
Anyone experiencing symptoms of a heart attack should contact 911 immediately.
To learn more, visit online at www.techeregional.com or call 985-384-2200.