Not all heart attacks look like that, especially not in women!

 The classic visual symptom of a heart attack is to clutch at the chest possibly with a pained expression on the face. In fact, chest pain is just one of the many symptoms of heart attack, and women, who have a fairly different set of heart attack symptoms from men, may not even display it.

Heart attack can in fact, induce early symptoms as far as a month ahead of the actual onset. If you pay attention to your health, you can avoid complications and seek treatment early and safely.

Heartline gives an excellent run-down of the symptoms related to heart attack:

Generally, early symptoms include one or more of the following:
  • mild pain or discomfort in chest that may come and go
  • pain in shoulders, neck, and jaw
  • perspiring
  • nausea or vomiting
  • lightheadedness or fainting
  • breathlessness
  • feeling of "impending doom"
  • severe anxiety or confusion
Due to the commonality of some of these symptoms, doctors may misdiagnose or downplay the severity of your condition. Trust your instincts. If you’re in a high-risk group, you definitely should get a check up for safe measure.

Typically, those who are at higher risk of having heart attacks are men, people with a family history of heart disease, smokers and ex-smokers, those with high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, obesity and previous incidences of heart attack.

The onset of heart attack has several symptoms, and they differ for men and women.

For men:
  • pain, squeezing sensation, pressure in the chest that could vary in intensity or frequency
  • Discomfort in any parts of the upper body, including your arms, left shoulder (nearer to the heart which is on the left), back, neck, jaw, stomach
  • Rapid or irregular heartbeat
  • Feeling of indigestion
  • Shortness of breath, even when resting
  • Dizziness or feeling like you're going to pass out
  • Breaking out in a cold sweat

For women:
  • unusual fatigue lasting for several days or sudden severe fatigue
  • sleep disturbances
  • anxiety
  • lightheadedness
  • shortness of breath
  • indigestion or gas-like pain
  • upper back, shoulder, or throat pain
  • jaw pain or pain that spreads up to the jaw
  • pressure or pain in the center of your chest, which may spread to the arm
Women over 50 may experience the following symptoms:
  • severe chest pain
  • pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach
  • rapid or irregular heartbeat
  • sweating
According to medical journal Circulation, a study of 515 women indicated that the most frequently reported symptoms of heart attack did not include chest pain. The more common symptoms are unusual fatigue, sleep disturbances, and anxiety.

Sometimes, the symptoms are so mild that you don’t even realise that you’ve had a heart attack! Not seeking timely treatment can be fatal.  
Symptoms of possible silent heart attacks include:
  • mild discomfort in your chest, arms, or jaw that goes away after resting
  • shortness of breath and tiring easily
  • sleep disturbances and increased fatigue
  • abdominal pain or heartburn
  • skin clamminess
Silent heart attacks are more common among diabetic people and those who have had previous heart attacks. Indeed, it is no exaggeration to compare those who have had previous heart attacks to a ticking time bomb.

Again, some of these symptoms are susceptible to misdiagnosis. I know of a case in which a doctor misdiagnosed a patient’s feeling of indigestion and heart discomfort as gastric. Fortunately, the patient received timely treatment during the actual onset of his heart attack. But he could have required less damaging, intrusive treatment if the doctor had correctly identified his symptoms. Misdiagnoses are rarely reported in the news unless they are fatal. Yet timely intervention could mean not having to undergo surgery or a mechanical pump for the rest of your life.

The bottom line is, there is more to heart attack than chest pain!  Additionally, all heart attacks are different, some patients may only experience certain types of symptoms. Some may even experience symptoms outside the above list.

It is important to go for regular health check-ups if you belong to the high-risk group or are 50 years old and above. Above all, have a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, healthy eating, sufficient water and rest.  


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