What Causes Heart Disease?
South Denver Cardiology Discusses Women’s Heart Disease Symptoms
What causes heart disease? Is it simply what happens to older men? Not so. If you’re thinking of heart disease as an unfortunate “boy’s club,” you might be mistaken. Women can suffer from heart disease, as well, and it sometimes goes unnoticed due to female-specific symptoms of both heart attack and coronary heart disease that can fly under the radar. It’s important to learn about these symptoms so that you can recognize them in yourself or a loved one and seek treatment right away if any do occur.
Heart attack symptoms women:
- Nausea or vomiting
- Shortness of breath
- Lightheadedness
- Sweating
- Fatigue
- Pain in the right arm, or in the jaw, shoulder, neck, back, or abdomen
Some of these symptoms can seem unrelated to the heart, but it’s important to recognize that subtler symptoms like dizziness, sweating, and exhaustion, might actually be pointing to a heart attack. Be aware of symptoms like these and immediately seek medical attention if you experience these symptoms.
Coronary heart disease risk factors for women:
- Pregnancy complications
- Diabetes
- Smoking
- Mental health and depression
- Hormonal imbalances, especially estrogen deficiencies
- Inactivity
- Metabolic syndromes
Heart disease symptoms for women:
- Fatigue
- Chest pain or pressure
- Pain in the jaw, shoulder, neck, back, or abdomen
- Palpitations
- Swelling in lower extremities
- Unexplained fatigue
You may think you are just slowing down and experiencing normal aging symptoms, but swollen ankles, feelings of depression, and exhaustion might be symptoms of a bigger heart problem. Seemingly unrelated pain can also be a symptom. Additionally, risk factors such as pregnancy complications and hormonal imbalances can put you at a greater risk for heart disease, and these risk factors affect women differently than men.
Make sure you understand these symptoms. Women of any age, even those younger than 65, can experience heart attack and heart disease. It’s crucial that women do not brush off their symptoms as minor or unrelated to their heart health. Learn the signs, symptoms, and risk factors of heart disease to keep you healthy!
How to Use This Information:
To learn more about women’s symptoms or heart disease and other heart disease FAQs please visit the South Denver Cardiology website today. For more information on risk factors or to discuss your cardiovascular health, schedule an appointment with South Denver Cardiology today to discuss your heart health. To schedule an appointment, call us at 303-744-1065, or visit our website here.
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As with any health concerns, your specific treatment program should be discussed thoroughly with your primary care physician as well as any specialists who may need to be consulted – like a cardiologist.
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