Elder Care Cafe

As we know, although we are all human beings, there are many differences between men and women. One thing most people don’t know is that while many heart attack symptoms are similar for men and women, the symptoms for women are often much more subtle.

Surprisingly, nearly half of all heart attack deaths occur in women, and heart disease kills five times as many women as breast cancer. One of the reasons for these statistics is because women often miss the warning signs and delay in calling for help because they think it is a false alarm or they do not recognize the symptoms.

According to the Women’s Heart Foundation, about a third of women experience no chest pain at all when having a heart attack. Many female heart attack patients report having flu-like symptoms for two weeks to a month prior to having more acute chest discomfort or severe shortness of breath.

Common warning signs of heart attack for men and women include:

• Squeezing chest pain or pressure
• Shortness of breath
• Sweating
• Tightness in chest
• Pain spreading to shoulders, neck, arm, or jaw
• Heartburn or indigestion, sometimes with nausea and vomiting
• Sudden dizziness or brief loss of consciousness

Heart attack symptoms more common in women include:

• Indigestion or gas-like pain
• Dizziness or nausea
• Unexplained weakness or fatigue
• Pain between the shoulder blades
• Recurring chest discomfort
• Sense of impending doom

Both genders should be aware of the above warning signs and to remember they can be subtle. Having the symptoms of a heart attack is serious and is of the utmost emergency. Delaying treatment could mean more damage to the heart tissue or the person could die.

Have an action plan

Families should have an action plan in place in case of heart attack symptoms, just as they would plan for a house fire. All family members should make a list of their medications and keep them in an obvious place to give to the emergency personnel when they come to your home.

Alternatively, keep the list in your wallet or pocket book so that you always have the list available.

Your action plan should include:

• Let someone know if you are not feeling well
• If your symptoms have not improved within 5-10 minutes, call 9-1-1
• Do not drive yourself to the hospital or ask someone else to drive you.
• An ambulance is properly equipped to provide the best emergency treatment and to alert the hospital of its impending arrival
• Keep prescribed medication handy and follow instructions
• Chew an aspirin tablet unless you are allergic to aspirin
• Sit in a comfortable position and rest quietly until the ambulance arrives.

If you or someone you are with exhibits these heart attack symptoms, call 9-1-1 immediately.

Know the symptoms and following the plan of action can save your life or the life of someone you love.

Related Posts:

• September 15, 2009 -- DASH Your Way to Lower Blood Pressure, Part 1
• August 24, 2009 -- How to Manage High Cholesterol
• August 23, 2009 -- 3 Steps Toward Managing Your Cholesterol
• August 22, 2009 -- Are You At Risk For A Heart Attack?
• August 21, 2009 -- 3 Things You Must Know About Cholesterol