A heart attack is one of those things most people know could happen to them, but never actually think they\u2019ll have to deal with. As a result, people often end up second-guessing themselves when signs of a heart attack do arise. Further complicating things is that heart attack symptoms in women can look slightly different from what a man might experience, making them a little easier to brush off at first.<\/p>\n
Still, heart disease is the number one killer of women in America\u2014it causes roughly one out of every five female deaths<\/a>. That\u2019s more than breast cancer, Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a>, or accidents. But there\u2019s unfortunately still confusion over what a heart attack can look like in women.<\/p>\n They don\u2019t always mimic the drama-filled portrayals you see on screens, where someone gasps and grabs their chest in pain. Heart attacks in women can present much more subtly, making it that much more important to be aware of the real signs to know.<\/p>\n Time matters with a heart attack, which is why it\u2019s so crucial to act quickly if you suspect something is off. \u201cWe have a saying that \u2018time is muscle,\u2019\u201d says Holly Andersen, M.D.<\/a>, attending cardiologist at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, and scientific advisor for Women\u2019s Heart Alliance<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meet the experts: Holly Andersen, M.D.<\/a>, attending cardiologist at the New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, and scientific advisor for Women\u2019s Heart Alliance<\/a>; Marla A. Mendelson, M.D<\/a>., co-director of the Women’s Health Research Institute at Northwestern Medicine; Erin Donnelly Michos, M.D<\/a>., associate director of preventive cardiology at Johns Hopkins Medicine; Amy Sarma, M.D<\/a>., a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital; Jennifer Wong, M.D.<\/a>, cardiologist and medical director of Non-Invasive Cardiology at MemorialCare Heart and Vascular Institute at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, CA<\/p>\n Combine the lack of knowledge with what a heart attack can look like for women and the subtle ways it can show up, with not wanting to believe that you could, in fact, be having a heart attack and it\u2019s easy to see how women may end up waiting to get care. \u201cWomen more often take a wait-and-see approach\u2014too busy to have a heart attack right now\u2014and too many women are dying of their heart attacks,\u201d Dr. Andersen says.<\/p>\n It\u2019s possible to have a full, healthy life after a heart attack, but you need to get proper care first. Here\u2019s what cardiologists want you to look out for.<\/p>\n What exactly is a heart attack?<\/p>\n Unlike cardiac arrest, which is when the heart suddenly stops beating, a heart attack happens when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart slows down or is cut off. \u201cEssentially what\u2019s happening is that the arteries in the heart are unable to provide sufficient blood flow to the working heart muscle, and most commonly this is due to atherosclerosis,\u201d says Erin Donnelly Michos, M.D<\/a>., associate director of preventive cardiology at Johns Hopkins Medicine. Atherosclerosis is when the arteries become narrowed due to a buildup of plaque, which is made up of fat, cholesterol, and other materials.<\/p>\n Although plaque naturally builds up over time, a heart attack occurs when that plaque ruptures, forming clots, says Dr. Michos. The obstruction or blockage of the arteries causes the heart muscle to begin to die. \u201cThis is why it\u2019s an emergency, because if the heart muscle dies, it doesn\u2019t repair itself,\u201d says Dr. Michos.<\/p>\n What are the symptoms of a heart attack in women? Extreme fatigue<\/p>\n Being tired or sleepy is one thing, especially after a long day dealing with work, family, and other responsibilities, but being so overwhelmed by exhaustion that you can barely move\u2014especially when combined with muscle weakness and\/or any of the other symptoms on this list\u2014may be a warning sign of a heart attack. In fact, one study found that 70% of women<\/a> who experienced a heart attack had felt unusual fatigue, making it the most common symptom, followed by sleep disturbance and shortness of breath.<\/p>\n Indigestion<\/p>\n It may sound surprising, but a heart attack can present as feeling like you ate something that really didn\u2019t agree with you. Blame this on the heart\u2019s position in your body: It sits on top of the stomach, so a burning sensation in your chest area might feel like simple indigestion. \u201cWe still see women staying home because they think they have indigestion and are treating themselves with antacids,\u201d says Marla A. Mendelson, M.D<\/a>., co-director of the Women\u2019s Health Research Institute at Northwestern Medicine. So if you\u2019re experiencing indigestion that feels extremely intense, lasts longer than usual, and doesn\u2019t respond to antacids, get to a doctor right away.<\/p>\n Jaw and back pain<\/p>\n When there is reduced blood flow to the heart, the pain can radiate out from your chest and up to your jaw or back\u2014it can even feel like a toothache. Everyone perceives pain differently, so you may feel it in a different spot than someone else, says Dr. Mendelson.<\/p>\n Heartburn<\/p>\n Just as a heart attack can feel like indigestion, for some people it may be mistaken for heartburn\u2014and vice versa. \u201cThe heart sits right on top of the esophagus in the stomach, so sometimes heartburn can feel like a heart attack, and a heart attack can feel like heartburn,\u201d says Dr. Michos. If you\u2019re feeling heartburn, try to rest and see if the pain dissipates. \u201cIf the discomfort came on suddenly, you\u2019ve never had it before, it lasts longer than five to seven minutes, and it\u2019s not going away with sitting and resting, and this is a new thing, then this is how a heart attack presents,\u201d says Dr. Michos.<\/p>\n Shortness of breath<\/p>\n Shortness of breath after a spin on a stationary bike<\/a> or a jog is normal. But if you experience shortness of breath when you\u2019re just sitting on the couch or if you\u2019re unable to make it up the stairs you use every day, that could be a sign that something more serious is going on in your heart.<\/p>\n Even if that shortness of breath isn\u2019t accompanied by chest pain, it could still signify a heart attack. \u201cI always tell patients that if they think that something is wrong, they should seek immediate medical attention, as everyone experiences a heart attack differently and the absence of chest pain does not mean that it\u2019s not your heart,\u201d says Amy Sarma, M.D<\/a>., a cardiologist at Massachusetts General Hospital.<\/p>\n Left arm pain<\/p>\n One of the more well-known signs of a heart attack, sudden pain in the left arm is similar to jaw and back pain, because your brain can\u2019t decipher where the pain is coming from (in fact, you can feel the pain in either arm, though left is more common). \u201cBecause the nerve endings all come into the spinal column at the same place\u2014from the upper arm, from the chest\u2014the brain can\u2019t pick out that it\u2019s actually happening in the heart,\u201d says Dr. Mendelson. \u201cIf you prick your finger, you know exactly where you\u2019re poking your finger, but you don\u2019t have that in the chest.\u201d<\/p>\n Nausea<\/p>\n Because the heart sits on top of the stomach, a heart attack may cause nausea, along with other symptoms of an illness, such as feeling clammy, dizzy, and lightheaded. \u201cThe heart\u2019s your major, vital organ, and it\u2019s not getting enough blood flow, and the heart muscle\u2019s dying, and people feel incredibly sick,\u201d says Dr. Michos.<\/p>\n Chest pain<\/p>\n This is the most notorious sign of a heart attack: the feeling of an elephant sitting on your chest, or a feeling of sudden tightness near your heart. \u201cIt can feel like pressure, squeezing, or tightness in the chest,\u201d says Dr. Michos. \u201cThat\u2019s the typical presentation.\u201d If you\u2019re experiencing this, it\u2019s important to get to a medical professional right away.<\/p>\n Why might women have different symptoms of heart attack than men?<\/p>\n