Symptoms of Heart Disease in Young Women

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, although young women (defined as women under the age of 30) can sometimes miss the symptoms and warning signs.

Types

• Types of heart disease that can afflict young women include pericarditis, coronary heart disease and ischemic heart disease.

Symptoms of Pericarditis

• According to Dr. Patrice Desvigne-Nickens, symptoms of pericarditis include chest pain, especially when lying on the back, sharp pains shooting from the chest into the neck, a feeling of general malaise, coughing, pain when swallowing and fatigue.

Symptoms of Coronary Heart Disease

• According to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, symptoms of coronary heart disease in young women include significant or severe chest pains, difficulty breathing and pressure in the jaw, neck or head.

Symptoms of Ischemic Heart Disease

• M. F. Oliver, writing in the British Medical Journal, states that young women who smoke or suffer from high cholesterol and/or hypertension are at risk for developing ischemic heart disease. Symptoms include chest pain and a decreased ability to exercise.

Who Is at Risk?

• Young women who are overweight, have a history of heart disease in their families or who lead sedentary lifestyles are most at risk for heart attacks.

Warning

• If you are feeling numbness on one side of your body or down your arm, having difficulty breathing, feeling faint or experiencing severe chest pain, go to a doctor immediately.