Women may have difficulty decoding the warning signs, which are less typical than in men.
Heart attack (or myocardial infarction) does not only threaten men over the age of fifty, paunchy or heavily stressed. The women, even young, can suffer from it at different stages of their life. They also represent 42% of deaths by heart attack in France. In women, the symptoms are often described as atypical because they differ from those observed in humans. They are generally not very specific and can develop insidiously and silently and insidiously months before the heart attack.
1. Digestive symptoms several months before the attack
In women, symptoms may appear before a heart attack. “It may be stomach pain, comparable to that of an ulcer, with difficulty digesting, burning in the stomach, nausea and vomitingdescribes Professor Claire Mounier-Vehier, cardiologist. All these symptoms sometimes also occur at restcan stop spontaneously and come back”. These are signs that should not be overlooked, especially if you have risk factors (smoker, stressed, excess cholesterol, diabetes, hypertension, etc.), and should lead to a cardiovascular assessment.
2. Unusual shortness of breath
“Often also, women talk about a fatigue during exercise, even when they are sporty. Some of my patients tell me, for example, that they can no longer go jogging because they are abnormally out of breath or because they feel tightness in their chest.”says the cardiologist.
3. Overwhelming fatigue that makes activities difficult
The woman may notice a feeling of exhaustion and unexplained fatigue, even after rest. These signs are often attributed to stress and a hectic pace of life, which complicates their interpretation. “Recurrent episodes of fatigue for 2-3 months, during moderate effort in daily life (go up a floor, do your shopping…)are not trivial, especially in active women, warns Professor Claire Mounier-Véhier. Unusual fatigue and dizziness for no reason may be a sign oftoo low cardiac output, bradycardia ora blocked coronary artery, At this rate, the heart can no longer pump enough blood to the rest of the body. You need to talk to your doctor about it.
4. A vice-like pain in the chest (in one in two women)
In men, the symptoms of a heart attack are quite clear: sharp chest pain which appears suddenly at the back of the sternum and which is oppressive like a vice. In women, a heart attack does not always hurt. “In one out of two caseschest pain is the first warning sign“, confirms Professor Claire Mounier-Véhier. This pain is similar to that of humans (a kind of brutal tightening) and can radiate into the arm, shoulder and jaw, sometimes with a desire to vomit, as well as palpitations. explains the specialist.
Any abnormal symptomsespecially in the context of risk factors (women on combined contraception, tobacco, chronic stress, sedentary lifestyle, BMI greater than 25, diabetes, cholesterol greater than 2, high blood pressure, family history of stroke, etc.) must alert and encourage the woman to consult as soon as possible. HAS menopausevigilance is required: it is necessary to a cardiovascular check-up. You should call 15 when chest tightness persists for more than 20 minutes.