Women’s Symptom Guide

Experts estimate that nearly 70 percent of those who die from heart attacks

A heart attack does not have to be a chest-clutching dramatic event. The symptoms women experience may include only one or more of the following:

• Pain, pressure or discomfort in the center of the chest.
• Pain or aches in other areas of the upper body such as the arm or stomach.
• Rapid pounding heart or change in heartbeat.
• Cold sweat, dizziness, feeling clammy.
• Women are somewhat more likely than men to experience an ache in the jaw, neck, or back; shortness of breath; nausea; extreme fatigue; sensation of bad indigestion; or sweating.

If you experience any of the signs or symptoms of a heart attack, seek medical care immediately. Because every second counts, you could save your life by knowing what to do when a heart attack strikes.

Learn More About Heart Attacks and Women...

• Heart Palpitations: How Common Are They and Should You Worry? by Maribel Hernández, MD
• Heart Attack: Women's Early Warning Symptoms Are Different Than Men's
• Heart Attack in Women
• The Role of Gender in Mortality Rates After Heart Attack
• Avoiding a First Heart Attack With Aspirin
• Aspirin as Primary Prevention for Cardiovascular Disease in Women

What To Do When Heart Attack Strikes
If you think you're having a heart attack, call immediately for emergency help. Even if your symptoms seem to be mild, it's important that you get to the emergency room right away. Time is muscle. In fact, within minutes of a heart attack, the heart muscle begins to change.

• Immediately call 911 to be transported to the nearest emergency room. There, medical experts can determine the cause of your discomfort. Even if you are not having a heart attack, your symptoms could signal another serious health condition.

• Don't drive yourself to the hospital. It's not uncommon for heart attack victims to pass out and you don't want to be behind the wheel if that happens. Call 911, the police or fire rescue for transportation, or ask a friend to drive you.

• Consider taking an aspirin if you feel like you are having a heart attack and don't have an allergy.