Heart Precautions Even the Fit Should Follow
From:
Rachel Grumman
5 days 0 hours 30 minutes ago
When you think of a heart attack, you probably imagine the classic Hollywood version, with a man grasping his chest. But in real life, the signs of a heart attack can be surprisingly less dramatic, especially in women, making it all the more important to know what they are so you can safeguard your health.
 What Are the Telltale Signs? When women experience a heart attack, it might just feel like pressure in the center of their chest - picture a vice squeezing in or an elephant sitting on your chest. But research shows that women are more likely to have subtle symptoms, according to Nieca Goldberg, MD, director of the New York University Langone Medical Center Women's Heart Program.
Some women may only experience shortness of breath without any chest pain, in addition to sweating profusely. “The shortness of breath hits suddenly and it feels as though you’ve run a marathon without leaving the room,” explains Dr. Goldberg. Women may also experience pressure below their chests, which can be chalked up to a stomach problem rather an actual heart attack.
Other telltale signs to watch out for include pain in one or both arms, the back, neck or jaw, nausea, vomiting and feeling lightheaded, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
 What To Do if You're In Doubt. If you think there’s even a chance that you’re having a heart attack, don’t second guess it or delay. Immediately call 911 and chew an uncoated aspirin. “You want to chew it - you don’t want to wait for it work,” she notes. “The faster you act, the earlier the diagnosis will be made and the more likely it is that when you get to the hospital, the doctors will be able to rapidly stop the heart attack in its tracks,” says Dr. Goldberg.
 What Causes Heart Attacks? A heart attack is caused by a clot that’s blocking blood flow. Heart attack patients usually receive an electrocardiogram (a test that checks for problems in the heart), followed by an angiogram at the hospital in which a stent is inserted into the blocked artery to improve blood flow and prevent permanent damage to the heart muscle, explains Dr. Goldberg. In some cases, doctors can inject a clot-dissolving drug, but the medication must be used within three hours of having a heart attack, according to the AHA. So acting fast can save your life.
When Heart Attacks Happen to Real People  A heart attack can come on so slowly and subtly that some women don’t even realize they’re having one. Nieca Goldberg, MD, director of the New York University Langone Medical Center Women's Heart Program recalls a patient of hers, "Shelly," who was walking around feeling exhausted (unexplained fatigue can be a symptom that you have blocked arteries, which can lead to a heart attack).
Before finding Dr. Goldberg, Shelly went to several doctors to find out what was causing her fatigue, but she never received an accurate diagnosis. “It was actually her ophthalmologist who said to go see a cardiologist,” says Dr. Goldberg.
Instead, Shelly ended up at the bookstore and picked up Dr. Goldberg’s first book, “Women Are Not Small Men: Live-Saving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease in Women.” “She stayed up all night reading it and she called my office the next morning - we made her an appointment right away,” she says. After giving Shelly an electrocardiogram , she received an angiogram in which a stent was inserted into the artery to restore blood flow. “She had 99 percent blockage in her artery,” says Dr. Goldberg, who notes that Shelly is now in good health.
The take-home lesson: “Women’s symptoms are often missed,” notes Dr. Goldberg. “We need to inform doctors but also let women know what’s going on so they can become advocates for their own health.”
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