Men and women are exposed to equal risk of heart attack and there are several identified factors that may lead to this medical problem.
Who's at Risk?
Overweight and obesity are commonly associated with heart attack, due to excess pressure on the arteries and coronary artery diseases. People suffering from high cholesterol in the blood are also at greater risk of heart attack. Habits such as smoking and lack of physical activity are known to contribute to development of heart diseases, as well as diabetes, stress, hypertension (high blood pressure). For some patients, hereditary factor may also play a big role in the development of heart diseases or heart attack. Since some of the factors, like smoking, weight and cholesterol levels can be changed or controlled, women should pay attention to them and do whatever they can to prevent heart attack. Symptoms may be somewhat different in men and women, but heart diseases and especially heart attack are often found to be the cause of death in women over 50 years of age.
Symptoms of Heart Attack in Both Sexes
Some signs and symptoms may be seen in anyone suffering from heat attack, regardless the gender. A person experiencing heart attack may feel discomfort in the chest, his or her shoulder and the back, often accompanied with some chest pains. Many patients have been complaining about shortness of breath when having heart attack or notice excessive sweating at some point.
Women and Heart Attack
As mentioned, women may have different symptoms than men, indicating heart attack. In women over 50 years of age, certain symptoms are considered as classical symptoms of heart attack, especially shortness of breath and breathlessness. In some cases, women experiencing heart attack also suffered from chest pain. This pain in the chest women described as squeezing or sometimes like tightness in the chest. If you (or any women you may know) happen to complain about the pain starting from left side of the chest and then spreading to the arms, shoulders and the back, be aware that it may indicate heart attack.
Other Symptoms
Nausea, weakness, fatigue, vomiting, indigestion and cough could also lead to diagnosis of heart attack in women over 50. Heartburn may be the cause of chest pain but also one of the symptoms of heart attack in older women and shouldn’t be ignored if it appears. Some women may not experience any chest pains during the heart attack, but they could notice dizziness or some abnormal heart beat, which are also symptoms of this condition.
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