Women Heart Attack SymptomsWomen heart attack symptoms are similar but not always the same as those that occur in men. A heart attack is the most serious condition of coronary artery disease, and can lead to life-threatening cardiovascular disease. Coronary artery disease involves blockages of the blood vessels supplying the heart resulting in ischemia (lack of blood supply). If the ischemic event lasts for long enough this will lead to permanent death of the heart tissue and muscle. This is also referred to as myocardial infarction or MI and prevents the heart from pumping effectively, which in turn leads to heart failure or possibly cardiac arrest.
SymptomsHeart attack symptoms are often very non-specific and in women are often even more difficult to identify. Some of the more common heart attack symptoms include:
Shortness of breath Nausea and/or vomiting Sweating Radiation of chest pain into the arms or neck Lightheadedness or dizziness
If you have any of these symptoms and think you may be at risk of having a heart attack it is important to seek medical advice as soon as possible.
TreatmentTreatments for coronary artery disease involve the attempt to unblock the blood vessels supplying the heart. In all cases it is important that treatment is started rapidly as a delay increases the risk of heart muscle death or myocardial infarction.Medication to open up coronary (or heart) vessels is often a first line treatment. These commonly include: GTN (Glyceryl Trinitrate) Blood thinning medications are also used as these reduce the risk of clots in the blood which may increase the blockage in the coronary vessels. Some of these medications include: Aspirin Clopidogrel Clexane or Heparin The final stage of treatment involves the attempts to unblock the coronary vessels. This is done either through a coronary angiogram and stent insertion (angioplasty) or with thrombolysis. Coronary angioplasty is the gold standard for treating coronary heart disease and involves inserting small wires through vessels from the groin up into the heart. These are then used to help visualize any blockages and can then be unblocked by various methods. Thrombolysis is also still sometimes used when coronary angiography is not available, or if the patient has contraindications to the procedure. Thrombolysis involves the injection of an anti-thrombotic (anti-clotting) agent into the patients blood stream which helps to unblock the coronary vessels.
PrognosisCoronary artery disease has a reasonable prognosis if treated quickly. However women heart attack symptoms are often harder to identify and if a vessel remains blocked for too long then myocardial infarction is inevitable and the heart muscle will not function as effectively.It is important to reduce your cardiac risk factors as this will reduce the risk of having more heart attack symptoms. Follow-up should be arranged through a cardiologist (heart doctor) who will help to minimize risk of further coronary artery disease.
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