There are countless films in which the father clutches his heart during the climax and is rushed to the hospital due to heart attack, all these films depend on the fathers to have a heart attack for the story to go ahead… Ever wondered why doesn’t the mother ever suffer from heart attack? It is all due to the notion that heart attacks predominately happen to males and females in general are immune to it. This is the reason that most of the women believe that breast cancer is a cause for worry while in reality that women are ten times more likely to suffer from heart disease than suffer from breast cancer. More than that, only half of women survive their first heart attack than men.
If all these factors surprise you, you will be more surprised to know that while heart attacks in men are easier to detect as they are likely to have the traditional heart attack symptoms, women have more subtle symptoms that are overlooked even by doctors sometimes.
Traditional heart attack symptoms (Courtesy: American Heart Institute)
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
Symptoms in Female Heart attack
- Shortness of breath
- Weakness
- Unusual fatigue
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Abdominal discomfort that may seem like indigestion
Since these symptoms are not generally taken seriously, many women do not know that they are suffering from heart attack, which causes a lot of damage to their heart muscles. These symptoms come suddenly without any precursor but are severe so women should look out for unexplained fatigue and dizziness. Many a times these symptoms especially sleeping disturbance and fatigue, occur about a week or even month before a heart attack so if women detect these symptoms early then they will be greatly benefitted.
Difference in Diagnostic Tests
Even with the differences in symptoms of heart attacks in males and females, the regular tests do not always detect the abnormalities in the heart functioning in females. The ECG or electrocardiography Test that is conducted in all heart patients fails to detect heart disease in women and Nuclear Stress tests that takes two images of the heart one on the treadmill and other when resting is a more accurate.
Even Angiography alone cannot completely point the location of the blockages in women as they do in men, for women two more additional tests called as IVUS or Intravascular Ultrasound and Coronary flow reserve studies are needed to pinpoint the exact location of the blockages in the microscopic vessels.
One of the reasons for this is that women are more likely to suffer from Coronary Micro Vascular Disease in which the smallest of the arteries in the heart have plaque formations in them that do not necessarily lead to blockages but deprives the heart of precious oxygen. It is more common in women because the drop of estrogen in blood after menopause along with the traditional factors lead to Coronary Micro Vascular Disease.
Risk factors
Generally men over 45 have a risk for heart disease while the risk factor in women is after 55 years. Even with the later onset of cardiovascular disease older women are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular disease and suffer from serious complications from it.
