Women experience heart attacks differently from men. Generally the heart attack’s symptom is expected to be ‘loud’, with intense chest pain. But heart attack signs can also be quiet and be easily mistake for fatigue, acidity, low stamina or general stress. This makes awareness non-negotiable. Since many early signs appears to be unrelated to heart, one may ignore them entirely and by the time it becomes detected, it’s too late.
Dr Vassily Eliopoulos, a longevity expert trained at Cornell University and co-founder and chief medical officer of Longevity Health, took to Instagram on June 5 to share a health advisory on why it is important for women to recognise the lesser-known and confusing signs of a heart attack. He emphasised that awareness can help women act quickly instead of dismissing these symptoms as fatigue, acidity, stress of muscle pain.
Noting how serious the risk is, he observed that heart attacks kill more women than all cancers combined. This shows the alarming gravity of the issue, especially because heart attacks in women are detected late, misread or misdiagnosed because symptoms do not always match the textbook warning signs.
Here are the 5 signs he mentioned:
1. Unusual fatigue
Fatigue is not paid close attention to, especially among women, for whom tiredness is normalised as they juggle home, work and daily errands. But this is not about ordinary exhaustion after a long day. The fatigue associated with heart attack is very unusual and it begins days or weeks before heart attack.
“Many women describe feeling exhausted by simple tasks that they used to do without even thinking about them,” Dr Vass said.
This means even the once regular activities will seem laborious. Fatigue generally gets better after eating something or taking a quick nap, but this one stays. So, a woman is generally active, suddenly feels very exhausted, even by basic tasks, then they should go get it checked, instead of powering through it.
2. Shortness of breath without chest pain
The longevity expert named shortness of breath as the second sign. Similar to the previous one, this too shows up during normal activities, like waking upstairs, carrying groceries. And this too is mistaken as poor stamina.
3. Pain
The pain may feel different from what you expect. Not all heart attack-related pain is located in the chest. The doctor warned that women may experience in the jaw, neck, upper back or shoulders, often on the left side, instead of chest pain. Explaining what this sensation may feel like, Dr Vass said, “The pain can feel like a pulled muscle or tension headache that just does not go away.” This means even if the source is in heart, the discomfort can still be felt elsewhere.
4. Nausea, indigestion
Misdiagnosis can be very common, and Dr Vass observed that many women may be diagnosed with heartburn because they experience nausea, indigestion or upper abdominal discomfort, symptoms that are connected to gut-related problem. But in some cases, these may actually be warning signs of a heart attack.
5. Cold sweat
Lastly, cold sweats or lightheadedness can also be signs of a heart attack, especially when they occur along with the symptoms mentioned above. These signs are mistaken for weakness, dehydration or stress. But if they appear without a clear reason, consult a doctor promptly.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition. It is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.
