Cardiovascular disease is the leading health threat to women. Many women do not know that includes heart disease and stroke or that women may have different symptoms than men. Over three-quarters of American women may be at risk of a cardiovascular event and not know it. Heart attack symptoms in women may include the following:
- Uncomfortable pressure in your chest
- Squeezing in your chest
- Fullness or pain in the center of your chest
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms
- Pain or discomfort in the back, neck, jaw, or stomach
- Shortness of breath
- Breaking out in a cold sweat
- Nausea
- Lightheadedness
As with men, women most commonly have chest pain, however, women are more likely to suffer from the other symptoms than men are.
In women, symptoms of a stroke include:
- Numbness
- Weakness of the arm, leg, or face, especially if only on one side of the body
- Confusion
- Trouble speaking or slurred speech
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Trouble walking
- Loss of balance and lack of coordination
- Dizziness
If you have any of the above symptoms and feel you are suffering from a heart attack or stroke, call 9-1-1 and receive immediate medical attention.