Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

Mujer mayor concentrada pensando

Si experimenta cualquiera de estos signos, llame al 911 y vaya a un hospital de inmediato.

  1. Presión, constricción, opresión o dolor incómodos en el centro del tórax. Dura más de unos minutos o desaparece y vuelve.
  2. Dolor o molestias en uno o ambos brazos, la espalda, el cuello, la mandíbula o el estómago.
  3. Respiración entrecortada, con o sin molestia torácica.
  4. Otros signos, como brotes de sudor frío, náuseas o mareo.
  5. Al igual que en los hombres, el síntoma más frecuente de ataque cardíaco en mujeres es una molestia o dolor torácicos. Sin embargo, las mujeres tienen más probabilidades que los hombres de experimentar los otros síntomas frecuentes, en particular, respiración entrecortada, náuseas o vómitos y dolor de espalda o mandíbula.

Go Red For Women

Ganemos esto juntos

Las enfermedades cardiacas son la principal causa de muerte en mujeres. Apoye los innovadores servicios de investigación, educación y prevención que protegen a las mujeres que amamos.

We’ve all seen the movie scenes where a man gasps, clutches his chest and falls to the ground. In reality, a heart attack victim could easily be a woman, and the scene may not be that dramatic.

“Although men and women can experience chest pressure that feels like an elephant sitting across the chest, women can experience a heart attack without chest pressure,” said Nieca Goldberg, M.D., medical director for the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women's Health at NYU’s Langone Medical Center and an American Heart Association volunteer. “Instead they may experience shortness of breath, pressure or pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen, dizziness, lightheadedness or fainting, upper back pressure or extreme fatigue.”

Even when the signs are subtle, the consequences can be deadly, especially if the victim doesn’t get help right away.

‘I thought I had the flu’

Even though heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women in the United States, women often chalk up the symptoms to less life-threatening conditions like acid reflux, the flu or normal aging.

“They do this because they are scared and because they put their families first,” Goldberg said. “There are still many women who are shocked that they could be having a heart attack.”

heart attack

A heart attack strikes someone about every 43 seconds. It occurs when the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle is severely reduced or cut off completely. This happens because the arteries that supply the heart with blood can slowly narrow from a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances (plaque).

Watch an animation of a heart attack.

Many women think the signs of a heart attack are unmistakable — the image of the elephant comes to mind — but in fact they can be subtler and sometimes confusing.

You could feel so short of breath, “as though you ran a marathon, but you haven't made a move,” Goldberg said.

Some women experiencing a heart attack describe upper back pressure that feels like squeezing or a rope being tied around them, Goldberg said. Dizziness, lightheadedness or actually fainting are other symptoms to look for.

“Many women I see take an aspirin if they think they are having a heart attack and never call 911,” Goldberg said. “But if they think about taking an aspirin for their heart attack, they should also call 911.”

Take care of yourself

Heart disease is preventable. Here are Goldberg’s top tips:

  • Schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to learn your personal risk for heart disease.
  • Quit smoking. Did you know that just one year after you quit, you’ll cut your risk of coronary heart disease by 50 percent?
  • Start an exercise program. Just walking 30 minutes a day can lower your risk for heart attack and stroke.
  • Modify your family’s diet if needed. Check out these healthy cooking tips. You’ll learn smart substitutions, healthy snacking ideas and better prep methods. For example, with poultry, use the leaner light meat (breasts) instead of the fattier dark meat (legs and thighs), and be sure to remove the skin.

Learn more:

Imagen en miniatura de la biblioteca cardiovascular interactiva

Ver, aprender y vivir

Vea su sistema cardiovascular en acción con nuestro sistema interactivo de ilustraciones y animaciones