On television shows and in movies, a person who’s having a heart attack has a dramatic episode that includes intense chest pains that may lead to them dropping to the ground. While that might be how it happens in some cases, there are other ways that a heart attack can manifest.
The symptoms of a heart attack in women are often different from those that men experience. Around half of women who are having a heart attack won’t have the same chest pressure or pain that men have. In some cases, the women will only experience an increase in anxiety or heart palpitations.
What are the symptoms that a woman may experience during a heart attack?
Heart attack symptoms can manifest in many ways. In women, shortness of breath that leads to a tightness of the chest is common. She may also experience a dull pressure or tightness that migrates toward the left side of the jaw or the left arm. Nausea, vomiting, extreme fatigue and heartburn are also signs of a heart attack in women.
Because the symptoms of heart attacks in women don’t mimic those of a man, women are often misdiagnosed. This can lead to significant negative health effects in these women and some of those effects can last a lifetime or lead to death.
A woman who isn’t properly diagnosed when she’s having a heart attack may opt to pursue a medical malpractice claim based on that missed diagnosis. This can be a challenging undertaking, but it’s one that may be a bit easier if she works with someone familiar with these situations.
