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Women and Heart Disease

Listen to Your Heart Before it's too Late

Because many women don't even know that they may have heart disease until symptoms appear, it's important to know the warning signs and when it's time to see your doctor. If you're knowledgeable about the danger signals of heart disease, you can work with your physician early to treat them.

Nausea, fatigue, and shortness of breath are some examples of clinically proven symptoms of heart disease in women, but a physician may attribute these complaints to anxiety or stress.

Your best defense is knowledge. Talk to your physician. Learn as much as you can about your own heart health and take an active role in your health care.

Signs and Symptoms of a Heart Attack:

  • Pain, squeezing, fullness, or pressure in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and returns
  • Pain that moves to the shoulders, neck or arms
  • Chest discomfort accompanied by lightheadedness, fainting, sweating, fatigue, nausea, or shortness of breath (fatigue, nausea, and shortness of breath are especially common in women)

Some less common symptoms are:

  • Unusual chest, stomach, or abdominal pain
  • Nausea or dizziness (without chest pain)
  • Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing without chest pain
  • Anxiety, weakness, or fatigue for no apparent reason
  • Heart palpitations, breaking out in a cold sweat, or paleness

Signs and Symptoms of a Stroke:

  • If you or a loved one experience any of the following symptoms, get medical attention immediately:
  • Sudden weakness or numbness of the face, arms, or legs, especially on one side of the body
  • Sudden confusion, difficulty speaking, or comprehension problems
  • Sudden vision problems in one or both eyes
  • Sudden dizziness, difficulty walking, or loss of balance or coordination
  • Sudden, severe headache with no known cause