Signs of a Heart Attack

More men suffer from heart attacks than women, but more women die from heart attacks than men. I think the biggest reason is most women are not familiar of the heart attack signs for women. In many cases they are different than the signs for men. Why? The medical establishment is not sure, but symptoms do present differently in women, in most cases.

For men, we find they have weakness or numbness in their left arm, in some cases it could be in both arms. Chest pressure, as though someone was sitting upon their chest. Shortness of breath, breathing hard even though they may not be doing any physical activity. And lastly, perfuse sweating.

For women, the symptoms could be severe indigestion. A feeling of pain in between their shoulder blades or upper back. A stiffness in their jaw, nausea and sweating seems to be a common symptom for both men and women.

Did you notice that nothing associated to a women’s chest was mentioned? So most women feel they ate something bad, picked up something wrong (back pain) or stress of the job was getting to them and they maybe grinding their teeth (stiff jaw).

If you suspect a heart attack immediately call 9-1-1. If the person is not allergic to aspirin, give them one adult strength aspirin and have them chew it. Aspirin thins blood and may be able to get around any blockages. By chewing the aspirin, it begins to have an effect of thinning the blood within 4 minutes. If they swallow the aspirin it may take up to 14 -18 minutes before the effects begin.

Immediate medical attention can be the difference between life or death.