In contrast to the classic symptoms of a heart attack in men, there are atypical and nonspecific signs of the disease itself in women, which often delays their diagnosis of a heart attack. What is the reason for this difference?
More than 300,000 people in Germany suffer a heart attack each year. In recent years, the average number of heart attack deaths in the country per year ranged between 44,000 and 49,000, with slightly more men than women, according to a report in Deutsche Welle.
Cardiovascular diseases are by far the most common cause of death in Germany in general, and these diseases are especially dangerous for women, because symptoms are often non-specific and appear differently from men.
Unconventional symptoms of a heart attack in women
The classic symptoms of a heart attack appear mainly in men. Although these signs can also appear on women, they are less common; For this reason, their diagnosis may be delayed.
These are the usual symptoms:
Severe tightness in the chest area (angina pectoris)
Pain and numbness in arms and legs
Pale face
Neck, shoulder, jaw or back pain
In contrast, there are atypical and nonspecific signs of heart attack in women more often. These signs include:
Hard breathing
Vomiting and nausea
Indigestion
Troubled sleep and constant tiredness
Pain in the upper abdomen, pressure and tightness in the chest
Other symptoms can also occur, including: frequent nausea or fatigue and dizziness for several days, weeks, or even months before the actual heart attack.
Previous studies from America, Canada and Norway revealed that the first of these signs appeared in women about a year before a heart attack.
Because both patients and doctors don't recognize the warning signs of a heart attack early on, the heart condition is often diagnosed and treated too late. Many women do not recognize the symptoms or do not want to see a doctor because they think there are only mild symptoms.
Difficulty recognizing heart disease in women
Another reason doctors may have difficulty recognizing heart disease in women is that female patients describe symptoms differently than men; They complain more often about stress, and talk more about fears and feelings rather than referring to physical symptoms; This, in turn, leads doctors to make false diagnoses.
Risk factors for women
The main risk factors for coronary heart disease, which include smoking, eating too much fat, high blood pressure, diabetes, being overweight and being sedentary, are the same for women and men.
However, women with diabetes are 3 times more likely than men with diabetes to develop cardiovascular diseases such as heart attack or stroke, according to the German Heart Foundation.
Women who smoke, who take birth control pills and who are also overweight, are at particular risk. There is also a gender difference in the age at which a heart attack occurs.
Causes of sudden cardiac arrest in young people
According to the German Heart Association, women are well protected until menopause because female hormones reduce the risk of vascular and arterial calcification and its consequences during the fertile stage of life. But if hormone production decreases, protection also decreases at the same time, then women are at risk of contracting the same diseases as men.
Doctors advise women to follow a healthy lifestyle starting at the age of 50 to prevent heart attacks; By paying attention to a balanced diet and avoiding nicotine, which greatly reduces the risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes.
Plenty of exercise can also help a lot for women of this age.
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HEALTH UPDATE