Women’s Heart Health

Heart disease is the leading cause of death (1 of every 3) in American women – no matter what their race or ethnicity. Women do not always exhibit the same signs of heart attack as men.

Common signs of heart attack in women include:

• Chest pain or discomfort. It may feel like a squeezing or fullness anywhere on the chest
• Pain in arm(s), back, neck, or jaw. This type of pain is more common in women than in men and can be gradual or sudden before becoming intense and can even wake one from sleep
• Stomach pain. Sometimes confused with heartburn, the flu, or a women can experience severe abdominal pressure as severely as thinking someone is sitting on their chest
• Shortness of breath, nausea, or lightheadedness.
• Sweating. Cold sweating is a common symptom of women having a heart attack and may feel like stress induced sweating rather than sweating from exercise
• Extreme Fatigue. Even if a woman has been sitting still, she may feel extreme fatigue and feel a tiredness in their chest and unable to do simple activities like walk to the bathroom

The good news is that heart disease can be prevented or controlled.

Treatment includes lifestyle changes – be physically active, follow a healthy eating plan, maintain a healthy weight, stop smoking, manage diabetes and, if prescribed, take medication. At Cone Health HeartCare, we focus on preventive medicine geared towards women.

Our providers work directly with your primary care provider and OB/GYN to ensure optimal health care.