Heart Attack Symptoms in Elderly Women

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), early detection and treatment of a heart attack is critical to patient survival. It is important to be familiar with the signs and symptoms so that a doctor can be immediately contacted and so that the person suffering the heart attack can receive life-saving medical attention. The AHA lists the following symptoms of the condition, and an elderly woman suffering a heart attack may experience any combination of these.

Chest Pain

• An older woman will almost always experience some form of chest pain or tightness. This is often described more as a gripping or heavy feeling than as a shooting pain.

Shortness of Breath

• She may experience unexplained shortness of breath, and women especially are known to feel unusually fatigued when they are having a heart attack.

Nausea and Vomiting

• An elderly woman may experience nausea and vomiting. This heart attack symptom in general is more common in women than men.

Upper-Body Pain

• An elderly woman may experience back or jaw pain, or even a feeling of tightness or tension in her left arm.

Cold Sweat

• She may begin to sweat or feel clammy without reasonable cause.