Symptoms of Heart Attack in Women

Dr. Tim Remillard
Aug 22, 2017 · 2 min read

As a family physician in Thornbury, Ontario, Dr. Tim Remillard provides diagnostic services, preventive care, and treatment for patients of all ages. Dr. Tim Remillard regularly attends continuing education programs and in the past few years completed a comprehensive cardiac updates program.

Many people know the common heart attack signs of severe chest pain and discomfort in the left arm, but a heart attack may present very differently in women. Chest pain in women may feel more like a squeezing or a fullness across the ribcage, rather than focused on the left side of the chest.

There may also be pain in the left arm, though women are likely to also experience pain in the other arm and may feel concurrent discomfort in the back, jaw, and neck. Presentation of this pain varies and may be sudden, gradual, or occasional before it builds to any kind of intensity.

It is likewise common for women having a heart attack to feel intense fatigue that exceeds what is normal for the individual patient. The fatigue often arises after an extremely simple activity, such as a walk from one room to the next, and may be particularly noticeable as a heavy feeling in the chest area. In many cases, the patient finds it difficult to go to sleep, despite the intense level of tiredness.

Fatigue may be difficult for some women to connect to a heart attack, as old age and the business of life can make one tired. The same is true for symptoms like sweating and shortness of breath, which co-occur with menopause for many women. Experts recommend a high level of watchfulness when these symptoms present alongside chest or back pain or pressure, and suggest that women in doubt seek out medical attention.

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Dr. Tim Remillard

A certified member and fellow of the College of Family Physicians, Tim Remillard has operated a private practice out of the Thornbury Medical Centre in Ontario.

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