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This article refers to assigned female at birth, but you can learn more about heart health for transgender people here.
Signs and symptoms of a heart attack in women
Symptoms of a heart attack vary from person to person, but the most common signs of a heart attack are:
- Chest pain or discomfort that occurs suddenly and does not go away. You may feel pressure, pressure, or pressure. The pain or discomfort may spread to one or both arms, or to the neck, jaw, back, or stomach.
- Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing with or without chest discomfort
- Feeling dizzy, light-headed, or faint
- Feeling unwell, indigestion, feeling unwell
- Sweating or having cold sweats
- A sudden feeling of anxiety that can feel like a panic attack
- Frequent coughing and wheezing.
You may experience just one or a combination of these symptoms.
Read more about myths about “female” heart attack symptoms.
What should I do if I think I’m having a heart attack?
It is important to understand the warning signs and symptoms of a heart attack and seek immediate medical attention. You don’t have to worry about wasting emergency personnel’s time. A heart attack is a medical emergency and early treatment is essential.
you should:
- Call 999 and call an ambulance
- please sit down and calm down
- If you have aspirin and are not allergic, chew 300mg of aspirin
- Please wait for the ambulance.
Women may be less likely to seek immediate medical help or treatment despite warning signs. Early treatment is essential to minimize damage to the heart. A heart attack occurs when blood flow to part of the heart muscle is suddenly lost.
Learn more about heart attacks.
If you’re concerned about your health, should you still call 999 or go to hospital?
It’s important to call 999 if you have symptoms that may indicate a heart attack. If you think you are not having a heart attack, but need to be seen before calling a doctor, call 911 for a diagnosis. Don’t put it off because the hospital is too busy. The NHS will respond immediately if you have a heart attack. If you delay, you are more likely to suffer serious heart damage. You’re not wasting anyone’s time. It’s better to go to the hospital and get the help you need, even if it means ruling out a heart attack, than to delay and make your condition worse.
The story of a woman and a heart attack
Do as many women have heart attacks as men?
In the UK, women have around half as many heart attacks as men, but heart attacks are still a big health problem for women.
Coronary heart disease, the leading cause of heart attacks, kills more than twice as many women in the UK each year as breast cancer and became the single biggest killer of women worldwide in 2019. Despite this, coronary heart disease is often thought of as a male disease. There are over 800,000 women living with coronary heart disease in the UK. It is estimated that about half of them survive the heart attack.
More than 30,000 women in the UK are admitted to hospital each year with a heart attack. Studies have shown that women have a lower survival rate than men.
Read more about how gender differences in heart attacks cost women lives.
How to reduce your risk of heart attack
You can lower your risk of a heart attack by knowing the factors that put you at risk for a heart attack and taking steps to prevent it. The risk of heart attack is increased by the following factors:
Additional risk factors affecting women are:
The more risk factors you have, the higher your overall risk. For women, hormones may provide some protection against developing coronary heart disease in the years before menopause. However, the risk increases after menopause and continues to increase as you get older.
There are many things you can do to reduce your risk factors, including quitting smoking, being active, and losing weight.
All women over 40 are advised to visit their local GP or nurse for an NHS health check to check their cardiovascular risks. This includes testing your blood pressure, blood cholesterol, and blood sugar levels. If you are aged between 40 and 74 and live in the UK, you can request an NHS health check. If you live in other parts of the UK, you may be able to receive a similar check.
Your doctor should recommend that you review your risk every five years, but you can also make an appointment to have your blood pressure and cholesterol levels checked on your own. Knowing these numbers and taking action when necessary can reduce your risk of developing heart and circulatory problems.
Be sure to tell your doctor or nurse if you have a family history of heart or circulatory disease. You are considered to have a family history of heart or circulatory disease if:
- Your father or sibling was under age 55 when he or she was diagnosed with heart or circulatory disease.or
- Your mother or sister was under 65 when she was diagnosed with heart or circulatory disease.
Heart Helpline and other support:
