We all know - or think we know - the classic symptoms of a heart attack, don't we. We've been told that there is pain and/or heaviness spreading from the centre of the chest and down one or both arms and the pain is likely to feel crushing rather than sharp and stabbing. We might even know that the pain can extend along the jaw and that you can be short of breath or break out in a cold sweat.
All this is fair enough as far as it goes but as I recently found out that, while these symptoms are common to both men and women, more than 40% of women having a heart attack do not experience chest pain so do not recognise they are having a heart attack.
So I urge you to have a look at these links:
General heart attack symptoms are here and more specific symptoms for women are here.
2 comments:
I knew that Helen. Dizziness is a feature as well as nausea. Pain can be included for a woman but not necessarily. I hope people will take notice.
I thought I was having one last week and had nothing but pain and high blood pressure, so just shows you, don't take chances. It wasn't by the way.
I'm glad you weren't having a heart attack, Jo, but it's scary that so many women don't recognise the symptoms and apparently even doctors under diagnose women, too.
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