The clinic WOMAN’S GP DR HELEN WALL ON HER TOPIC OF THE WEEK
Forget what you see in movies – some symptoms aren’t as dramatic as you’d expect, meaning that many of us wouldn’t recognise them…
One evening, a couple of months ago, a good friend of mine messaged to say that she had chest discomfort, nausea and felt a bit breathless. I sprang into GP mode and told her to go to A&E.
Truth be told, my internal monologue (fuelled by my mind insisting that we’re still in our 20s), had me doubting any serious cause, but two days later she was in coronary care having been diagnosed with a heart attack. Early 40s, no family history and generally fit and active. At that moment, we were both suddenly hit with a reality check: no one is too young or too healthy.
While women are more likely to have a heart attack over 55, there’s a relatively steep rise in cases from 40 years onwards. Yet most people aren’t aware that UK women are twice as likely to die of cardiovascular disease (including heart attacks) than breast cancer. In fact, 35,000 women are admitted to hospital after a heart attack each year in the UK – it’s definitely not a male disease or one that only strikes in old age.
SPOT THE SIGNS
A heart attack occurs when the supply of blood to the heart becomes blocked. This can starve it of oxygen and potentially cause serious muscle damage. Rapid treatment is essential to restore blood flow to the heart muscle and limit that damage.
Symptoms for women and men to look out for include chest, neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or upper belly (abdomen) discomfort that occurs suddenly and doesn’t go away – it may be squeezing, tightening or pressure.
You may experience a shortness of breath, pain in one or both arms, nausea or vomiting, sweating, light-headedness or dizziness. Often women may report a run-up to this, of feeling unusually fatigued and recurrent heartburn (indigesti
