Heart attack symptoms in women differ from the classic image

Chest pain remains common during a heart attack in women, but other symptoms can be misleading: intense fatigue, shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, or digestive discomfort. It is crucial to recognize these symptoms for timely medical care.

Dr. Sermed Mezher highlights the issue on Instagram

On Instagram, Dr. Sermed Mezher emphasizes an important point: in women, a heart attack does not always resemble the classic image of a sudden chest pain radiating to the left arm. Chest pain remains a major signal, but it can be accompanied by more subtle signs.

Chest pain can be subtle and varied

The first risk is believing that a heart attack can be recognized only by a crushing pain in the middle of the chest. In reality, chest pain remains frequent in both women and men. However, it can be described as a discomfort, pressure, heaviness, or tightness rather than a spectacular pain.

Characteristics of cardiac chest pain

In his video, the doctor explains that chest pain of cardiac origin often has a character of heaviness, tightness, pressure, more than a sharp and prickly pain. He also recalls that it can radiate to the left jaw or arm, and worsen with exertion, for example when climbing a gentle slope.

Subtle symptoms may delay care

In women, some symptoms may attract attention more slowly because they evoke other daily problems: difficulty digesting, stress, fatigue, transient discomfort. It is precisely this that can delay medical care.

Recognizing unusual symptoms is key

The signs to know do not replace an urgent medical opinion, but they should make one think of a possible cardiac cause when they are unusual, intense, persistent, or associated with each other: Sudden or unusual shortness of breath; Intense, unexplained fatigue that does not resemble a typical exhaustion.