Symptoms of heart disease in women

Heart is the part of the circulatory system, which is also called cardiovascular system. Heart pumps the blood that is rich in oxygen and nutrients through the blood vessels to the different parts of the body. Therefore, it is of crucial importance to maintain the heart healthy. However, the human body is susceptible to many disorders and disease. Various diseases can also affect the heart. Many people think that the heart disease is a condition that is typical for men, but this is wrong, because more women die from the heart disease than men.

Symptoms of heart attacks in women

A heart attack usually causes sharp pain and discomfort in the chest in women, as well as in men. However, there are several symptoms that typically occur only in women and are not related to the pain that occurs in the chest. Many women may experience some sort of discomfort that appears in the neck and shoulders, as well as in the upper back and abdomen. Furthermore, shortness of breath, excessive sweating, nausea and vomiting as well as fatigue and dizziness may also appear.

The warning signs mentioned above appear in women because they usually have the blockages in the small arteries, as well as in the main artery. Because of that, the blood flow is impaired and causes pain in many other parts of the body except in the chest area. This condition is usually named small vessel heart disease. In the majority of cases, the women usually go to see the doctor very late when the heart is already much damaged. This happens due to the symptoms that are not characteristic for a heart attack. Therefore, it is important to visit immediately a doctor when the described symptoms are noticed.

Risk factors of heart disease in women

Many factors can lead to the occurrence of the heart disease. For example, obesity, hypertension and high cholesterol are very dangerous and can cause coronary artery disease. However, there are also many other medical conditions that can be responsible for the heart diseases in women. One of the causes is metabolic syndrome marked by hypertension, fatty abdomen high triglycerides and hyperglycemia. Mental stress and depression, as well as smoking, can lead to the heart disease in women even more than in men. Furthermore, small vessel heart disease can be induced by the low levels of estrogen, especially in women who reached menopause.