Over 1.5 million cases of heart attack are reported every year in Nigeria.
A heart attack, also called a myocardial infarction, occurs when a blood clot blocks blood flow to the heart. This blockage often leads to the death of tissue because of the shortage of blood supply, and it can cause damage to the muscle heart. Reports show that heart attacks kill more than twice as many women as breast cancer every year.
Women have a worse chance than men of surviving their first heart attack. This could be due to the fact that symptoms differ between men and women. Women are more prone to suffering from a “silent” heart attack or experiencing odd symptoms.
Here are some of the symptoms of heart attack in women:
1) Unusual fatigue:
One of the common symptoms of heart attack in women is fatigue. Women with heart attacks often experience fatigue before the event occurs and even in the weeks leading up to the heart attack. They feel extremely tired even when they do simple activities or sit still for hours.
2) Pain or discomfort in the chest:
This is the most common symptom of heart attack in both males and females, but some women may have a different experience than men. For women, it may be extremely painful and the pain can be anywhere in the chest, not just on the left side.
However, research shows that some women may experience heart attacks without experiencing any pain or discomfort in the chest. Some women experience the pain weeks before the attack, while most women experience chest pain during the attack.
3) Shortness of breath:
When a woman experiences difficulty in breathing or heavy breathing, particularly when accompanied by chest pain, it could indicate a heart attack.
4) Stomach pain:
Another symptom of a heart attack is stomach pain, which is sometimes confused with illnesses such as heartburn, stomach ulcers, or stomach flu. Research shows that women may experience severe abdominal pressure as part of the symptoms of a heart attack.
5) Excessive sweating:
When a woman experiences excessive sweating without a cause, this may be one of the symptoms of a heart attack.
