What different for men and men heart attacks

Men & Women heart attacks can be different. Know what to look for?

Take 10 minutes here and find out. You may save someone’s or your own life as a result.

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense where no one doubts what’s happening.

But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help.

Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

• Chest discomfort

Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.

• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body

Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.

Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.

• Women’s symptoms may be different

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly: shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, back or jaw pain, pressure or pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, upper back pressure or extreme fatigue.

Even when the signs are subtle, the consequences can be deadly, especially if the victim doesn’t get help right away.

“I thought I had the flu”

Even though heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women, women often chalk up the symptoms to less life-threatening conditions like acid reflux, the flu or normal aging.

Nieca Goldberg, M.D., medical director for the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at NYU’s Langone Medical Center states: “They do this because they are scared and because they put their families first.  There are still many women who are shocked that they could be having a heart attack.”

If you have any of these signs, don’t wait more than five minutes before calling for help. Call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.

I’ve given a link at the bottom of this page for more “Warning Signs of a Heart Attack” information.

To take a CPR or First aid class give us a call 

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