More than 25% of all women in the United States have some type of heart disease. This disease is likely to be overlooked or misdiagnosed by doctors many times.
More women die from heart disease than men every year. It is misdiagnosed many times because women show different symptoms than men do when experiencing a heart attack. Men generally complain of severe pains in their chest. This is a classic sign of a heart attack and is taken very seriously by doctors and hospitals. Women are more likely to experience nausea, indigestion, shortness of breath, and fatigue. Women are less likely to go to the emergency room when they experience these symptoms because they are not aware that they are having a heart attack. Even experienced doctors will sometimes overlook these symptoms and assume it is something else, such as anxiety or exhaustion.
If you smoke, have high cholesterol, are inactive, experience stress, or are obese, you are at a higher risk of heart disease. If you have diabetes you are also much more at risk of a heart attack. Seek emergency care immediately if you show any symptoms like nausea, gastric pain, pressure in your chest, or shortness of breath and also fall into the high risk category. Even fifteen minutes delay can make the difference between life and death if your heart is damaged.
Ask your doctor to give you standard tests as well as an exercise echocardiogram. You may also request a computerized tomography scan (CT scan) or an MRI. It is better to be safe and have these tests run than to find out later on that you have permanent damage to your heart.
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