February is well-known for Valentine’s day and all topics related to the love, relationships, and maybe candy. Yet, how is our relationship with our own heart health? How expansive does our awareness have to be to understand the basics of heart health past good/bad cholesterol & blood pressure? While, those are standard testing and measuring points to keep an eye on; learning & RECOGNIZING signs of a heart attack is just as important. Here, we will discuss what to recognize in a heart attack before & during for women.
Many believe the chest pain, increase pressure, & numbness/tingling/pain down the left arm are the classic signs of a heart attack to be known; yet, “absence of chest pain is more commonly seen in women than men” (1). There was a 2012 national study conduct on “1.1 million MI (myocardial Infarction) patients” showing “38% of women with a STEMI did NOT have this hallmark symptom” (1). Why does this happen? They have found an increase in age (getting older) “is a major contributing factor in MI presentation without chest discomfort and more women who present with MI are older than men, on average by almost a decade” (1). In addition, I have known a few women in who have had stroke and MI younger than 35 years of age.
With this in mind, what does one have to look out for? From the Heart Sisters, the warning signs for a heart attack include:
- abrupt change in how you FEEL
- ATYPICAL: pain, discomfort, pressure, heaviness, burning, tightness or fullness in the chest, left OR right arms, upper back, shoulder, neck/throat/jaw/abdomen pain. “Chest pain may be central, or felt ‘armpit to armpit’. (2).
It is interesting to know some signs and symptoms of an upcoming heart event known as the Prodromal symptoms can happen weeks to months BEFORE a heart attack takes place. These symptoms may include increase extreme fatigue, sleep disturbances, shortness of breath, indigestion, increase anxiety, possible chest pressure, or other symptoms (3). Please fee free to print & cut out the below picture summarizing signs and symptoms of an heart attack for women below.
If one does experience any of these symptoms:
Call 9.1.1. and say “I think I am having a heart attack”. It is important to NOT self-diagnosis and safer to get check out (1).
It is important to expand our awareness around heart attack symptoms, how to improve heart health through prevention, and ways to lower the risk of heart attack by addressing high blood pressure, stress-induced palpitations, cholesterol levels, and underlying inflammation factors. Chinese Medicine serves well in the prevention & strengthening of heart health by addressing blood pressure, stress management & reduction, balancing cholesterol, and also is useful in stroke rehabilitation.
Thank you!
Danielle Dickshinski, L.Ac.
Resources:
- S. Dey et al, “ GRACE: Acute coronary syndromes: Sex-related differences in the presentations, treatment, and outcomes among patients with acute coronary syndromes: the Global Registry of Acute Coronary Events:, Heart 2009;95: 1 20-26
- J. Canto et al, “Assocation of age and sex with myocardial infarction symptom presentation and inhospital moratality,” JAMA. 2012 Feb 22; 307(8): 813-22
- Thomas, Carolyn. “Am I having a Heart Attack?” Heart Sisters. <myheartsisters.org/about-women-and-heart-disease/heart-attack-sign/>. Nov 7 2018.