The signs of aheart attackcan be different for women versusmen.
Plus, thechest pain women havemay feel different compared with men.
These terms are not used here to refer to a person’sgender identity.
Illustration by Michela Buttignol for Verywell Health
However, some additional signs and symptoms are more common in women.
That makes the signs easier to ignore or dismiss them rather than seek medical help.
Heart attack symptoms may last a few minutes or a few hours.
If you or someone you are with has the signs of a heart attack, call 911 right away.
Stay on the phone and wait for further instructions.
A heart attack pops up if there is a blockage of blood flow to the heart.
Cardiac arrest is a sudden loss in heart function in which the heart is unable to pump blood.
Sometimes, a heart attack can lead to cardiac arrest.
It’s also possible for cardiac arrest to happen during recovery from a heart attack.
Signs of cardiac arrest include:
Call 911 immediately if someone has signs of cardiac arrest.
Startcardiopulmonary respiration (CPR)if you have been trained to do it.
Among 805,000 heart attacks each year, 170,000 are thought to be silent heart attacks.
A silent heart attack is just as dangerous as a heart attack with obvious signs and symptoms.
The medical name for this bang out of heart attack isnon-ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).
Always call 911 for immediate help when someone has heart attack symptoms.
Arteries supply blood to the heart.
With SCAD, there is a tear in the layers of one or more arteries.
When the tear happens, a flap or a blood clot may form.
Either of these can hinder blood flow to the heart, leading to a heart attack.
That compares with 65.6 years old in men.
However, there are now more women experiencing heart attacks at younger ages, including SCAD.
One review found that heart attacks are especially increasing among women ages 35 to 54.
The largest increase was among young women.
Summary
Heart attack symptoms for women can be different than heart attack signs for men.
Chest pain also may feel different.
Some types of heart attacks are more common in women, including silent heart attacks and SCAD.
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