Pre-Heart Attack Symptoms In Female: What You Need To Know?

Heart disease is a common problem that affects most people today. It is believed that heart disease affects more men than women. But in reality, studies show heart disease is the No.1 killer of women in the United States.

Most women are unaware of the symptoms they have and it causes severe issues, even death. One of the main reasons for the unawareness of the pre-heart attack symptom is women feel different signs from men.

How To Prevent Pre-Heart Attack Symptoms In Female?

Both men and women feel chest pain while having a heart attack. However, women tend to have more symptoms than chest pain. Studies found that when women have heart disease, they expose to more symptoms compared to men.

In this article, let’s discuss the pre-heart attack symptoms in females and know when to seek help. Read the entire article to know more about heart-attack symptoms and how to prevent the disease. Before getting into the topic, let’s discuss what a heart attack is.

What is a heart attack?

A heart attack is a coronary artery disease that occurs when something blocks the blood flow to your heart. A lack of blood to the heart can result in damage to the heart muscle and it can lead to several health risks.

Numerous factors influence heart attack, such as changing lifestyle, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, etc. The main reason for blockage in the arteries is usually due to the buildup of waxy substances in the wall of your arteries.

The excess deposit of fat called plaque can rupture and form a clot that interrupts the blood flow to your heart. If you diagnose the symptoms in the initial stage, it can be treated with the help of medical care.

What are the pre-heart attack symptoms in females?

Heart attack is a life-threatening disease affecting both men and women. Cardiac arrest may happen at any age in a person’s life and depends on several factors, such as biological factors, lifestyles, chronic diseases, etc.

In most cases, both men and women experience a primary symptom of chest pain or discomfort.

Specifically, when it comes to women, most of them feel more symptoms than men, and these symptoms are less recognizable. Following are the common pre-heart symptoms found in women.

• Pain in neck, jaw, back, and arms

Pain in certain body parts is a common pre-heart attack symptom in females. In most cases, people could not understand the pain in the neck, back, or jaw as a symptom of a heart attack.

It may occur suddenly or slowly based on the biological condition of the individual. If you feel any unbearable pain above your waist, it’s better to consult your health physician immediately.

• Cold sweat

Cold sweat is one of the heart attack symptoms that is commonly found in women. The excess sweating wakes you up at night, and it affects your healthy sleep.

If you are not a person who typically sweats, you should care about your health and seek medical help in the beginning stage. It may be a hint to your poor condition of heart muscles. 

• Fatigue

According to American Heart Association, some women who have heart attack symptoms often experience fatigue. Most people feel tiredness in their chests. People with fatigue can’t do simple activities, even walking. They feel tired throughout the day.

• Chest pain

As aforementioned, chest pain is the classic symptom of a heart attack and the symptom is quite common in both men and women. In most cases, people can’t realize it can be a medical emergency. If you feel pressure in the chest or tightness, you should consult your doctor and try to know the reasons behind this occasional pain.

• Stomach pain

Stomach pain is a symptom of a heart attack that is more often appeared in women. The heart, the gullet, and the stomach are lying right to next each other. If you have heart muscle damage, it would affect your stomach. If you feel a burning sensation in the stomach you could call NHS(National Health Service) 111 for advice.

• Vomiting

Women are more likely to have the symptoms of nausea and vomiting. Indigestion feels in the stomach increases the tendency of vomiting.  People with heart failure normally feel indigestion and which leads to vomiting. If you feel anything wrong, it’s better to consult your doctor and take medicines if needed.

Risk factors of a heart attack in women?

There are several factors that affect heart attacks in women. Many of them believe that heart attack is a condition that mainly affects men. But the fact that the disease is quite common in females too. Let’s look at the risk factors that lead to heart disease in women.

• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Changing lifestyles such as lack of exercise, drinking habits, smoking, lack of healthy diet, etc.
• A family history of heart attack 
• Age (when you grow older, the risk of getting a heart disease also becomes higher)
• Stress or depression
• Diabetes
• Pregnancy complications (chronic conditions like diabetes and high cholesterol can develop risk factors for heart disease.)
• Menopause

How to diagnose heart disease in women?

If you feel any of the pre-heart attack symptoms mentioned above, don’t hesitate to take an appointment with your doctor. You can talk to the doctor about your medical history and they will recommend you follow specific checkups to know about your health conditions. The following are different ways that help to diagnose cardiovascular disease in women.

How to prevent heart attacks in women?

Heart disease can be treated with the help of proper medical support and lifestyle changes. Depending on the type of heart disease, your doctor would recommend the ideal treatment which is work for you. Here are some common things that help you to avoid cardiovascular diseases.

• Eat heart-healthy foods
• Quit smoking
• Drink alcohol at a moderate level
• Exercise daily and manage a healthy weight
• Avoid using drugs
• Follow your treatment plan correctly
• Manage other health conditions, including diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure (If you have one).
• Get enough sleep
• Avoid taking saturated fat