Am I Having A Heart Attack – Should You Really Be Googling This Phrase
Posted on Monday, February 28th, 2011
Searching for Heart Attack Signs on Google is okay for research, but why is the question “am I having a heart attack” being posed to Google?
On this last day of February, I thought I’d give a final shout out to the American Heart Month. At the start of the month I posted a blog about this event by the American Heart Association, with an emphasis on the fact that women are at equal risk of heart attack as men. You can read that post by clicking here: Are Women At Risk For Heart Disease?
You would think that the classic symptoms of chest pain, sweating, and nausea, would prompt a call to 911 and NOT a Google search. Even with all the statistics showing that women are at the same risk of heart attack as men, women call 911 much less frequently than a man will. Why? Let’s look at the classic symptoms first that both men and women share.
Chest Pain – Even this well-known symptom is often discounted by women. It could be because chest pain often presents itself more as a fullness or pressing feeling, and not as a Hollywood scene of clutching one’s chest while doubling over in gripping pain.
Shortness of Breath – Sometimes a feeling that you just can’t catch your breath is a symptom that occurs before chest pain. What woman doesn’t feel short of breath at times?
Dizzy or Lightheaded – This symptom can present itself as either a spinning or a fainting feeling. It can be confusing, especially for women who experience vertigo on a regular basis due to allergies or inner-ear imbalances.
Cold Sweat – That clammy feeling which you can’t account for any other reason. Again, what woman hasn’t experienced this feeling at times, especially when we’re overworked and exhausted?
Here’s the kicker with these classic signs – any woman of peri-menopausal or menopausal age knows these symptoms quite well as just part of going through the ‘change.’ Yes, each of these classic symptoms of heart attack are often experienced by women going through menopause as just par for course. Is it any wonder that women don’t call 911?
With that said, these classic symptoms, especially chest pain, are NOT the main symptoms in women experiencing a heart attack. Let’s take a look at the other less understood signs of a heart attack most likely to be experienced by women:
- Arm, Neck, Shoulder, Back, and Abdomen Pain — When the heart isn’t getting enough blood, discomfort can spread to other places in the body. This pain may not be described as ‘pain’ but more likely as a pressure or ache.
- Jaw and Throat Pain — This can be described as a toothache and as a choking feeling. The discomfort may start in the chest and move up to the throat and jaw.
- Nausea and Vomiting — This symptom can easily be mistaken for the flu, as it often is.
- Overwhelming Fatigue — We all feel fatigue from time to time, but this symptom is a sudden onset or an unusually intense fatigue. Even though this symptom is extremely common, it is often discredited by women, and sometimes their doctors.
Okay, granted, these symptoms are not the classic ones known to everyone, but the medical profession knows they are often exhibited by women who are experiencing a heart attack. So, why are doctors still ignoring these warning signs?
The answer again, you guessed it, is menopause.
If you are a woman over a certain age, you have most likely suffered through one or two of these symptoms, if not all of them. I myself have had a tight feeling in my chest accompanied by a choking feeling in my throat, felt faint and broke out in a cold sweat. This occurred with some frequency about five years ago. Did I call 911? No. Why? I chalked it up to peri-menopause, and so did my doctor.
I am proof that women do not call 911.
In my case, it wasn’t a heart attack. The fact is, it could have been. My symptoms, if I had alerted anyone instead of ‘toughing it out,’ would have been seen as a heart attack – but probably only if I was a man. You see the problem? How am I, as a woman, to take these symptoms seriously if the general public, even some medical professionals, don’t?
Women are less likely to call 911 when these symptoms, even the classic ones, occur. Simply put in an article posted in an AARP Bulletin – Am I Having A Heart Attack “Women don’t call 911.” says Sharonne Hayes M.D., of the Mayo Clinic.
So, if you Googled “Am I having a heart attack?” and you landed on this blog post, you need to pick up your phone and call 911. If you think you may be having a heart attack, this is not the time to try and figure out if you’re right.
Don’t diagnose yourself with this information or any other. Whether you’re having a heart attack or not, your symptoms could be signs of heart disease or other illnesses or conditions. Learn the symptoms of heart disease and heart attack BEFORE you need to ask “am I having a heart attack?” and become a advocate for your own good health.
Women of all ages are just too well trained to take care of everybody and everything else first, and ignore symptoms that, if she were a man, would be a concern. This video from the Go Red For Women folks is an excellent illustration of 1) ignoring the symptoms, and 2) apologizing for bothering the nice 911 dispatcher. Take a look:
p.s. Take a look at my previous post “Are Women At Risk For Heart Disease?” to learn what you can do to improve your overall health and reduce the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and other factors that could lead to heart disease and, ultimately, a heart attack.
p.p.s. Please take a second to comment on this post to share your own thoughts about this subject. Thanks for reading!
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Like “the change” isn’t bad enough without it having heart attack like symptoms.
I used to find it odd that many women never had a drink in their life until their 40s. Now I know why. 🙁
Yup, Patti… that does explain a lot. 😀
Patti thanks for pointing out this info. Heart disease is the #1 killer of women but the research and most of what we hear about it is based on studies with men.
You’re welcome, Pam. Women in the menopausal years are often told by their doctors that their symptoms are all related to menopause without even thinking or having any sort of tests done. As statistics start to prove the truth, that heart disease is not a ‘male disease,’ we will see more and more studies to prove the statistics are factual. yeah. What we know is, unfortunately, this is one area where women are passing men up.
Thanks for stopping by to read, Pam, and for leaving a comment. I sure appreciate you!