|  | Conditions Treatments | Heart Attack

Signs & Symptoms of Impending Heart Attack in Women

Thirty-three percent of American women die of heart disease, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The agency also says women are more likely than men to die after a heart attack. A 2003 study from the National Institutes of Health found that 95 percent of women experienced different symptoms a month before their heart attack. Recognizing these early symptoms when they occur together could be the key to reducing the number of women who die from heart attacks.

  1. Fatigue

    • The number one reported early symptom of a heart attack in women is unexplained fatigue. Seventy percent of the women in the 2003 study conducted by the National Institutes of Health reported that they felt exhausted for no apparent reason a month or even more before they had their heart attacks. Some women reported that they were so tired, they couldn't even make their bed without taking a break.

    Sleep Problems

    • Forty-eight percent of the women surveyed said they had trouble sleeping during the month prior to their heart attack. Sleep disturbances include waking up frequently in the middle of the night or having trouble going to sleep.

    Breathing Problems

    • Another commonly reported early symptom of a heart attack in women is breathing problems or shortness of breath. Forty-two percent of the women surveyed experienced shortness of breath during the month before their heart attack. Shortness of breath is not often treated as a serious symptom by itself, but it can be dangerous if it occurs with these other early warning signs.

    Indigestion

    • Fourth on the list of early warning signs of heart attacks in women is indigestion. Indigestion can be experienced as heartburn or an uncomfortably full feeling during or after a meal. This problem is something most women rarely pay attention to, except to pop an antacid tablet, but 39 percent of the women in the 2003 survey reported indigestion a month before their heart attacks.

    Anxiety

    • Anxiety is another early warning sign of heart attacks in women, and it's just as difficult to classify as the other signs. Anxiety is a normal reaction to stress, although sometimes people feel anxious for no apparent reason. If you aren't experiencing stress in your life, but you are experiencing anxiety, it's time to get checked out.

Heart Attack - Related Articles