HYDERABAD: If you think it is only Bollywood and Tollywood movies that lead to heartbreaks, then you are wrong. There are signs and symptoms that indicate your body needs attention. Some experts in the city tell us what are specific symptoms that women should look out for in order to protect their hearts from diseases.Understand symptoms and risk factors
“Women have a lesser chance of heart attack than men. After reaching the menopause stage, they have the same risk factors. Importantly, women take their symptoms for granted. Women have an atypical presentation of symptoms. Now a lot of women come to us saying they have symptoms like palpitation, apprehension, and uneasiness. All of them may not have heart disease. That is why it is important for the doctor and the patient to understand what is a false call and what is true. Most of the time patients come with false calls and convincing them is difficult,” said Dr Athuluri Ravi Kanth, MD DM Interventional Cardiologist at Yashoda Hospital, Somajiguda. He added that it is a misconception that women are protected but after menopause, they are as likely to get a heart attack as men.
The most common heart attack symptom in women is the same as in men — some type of chest pain, pressure or discomfort that lasts more than a few minutes or comes and goes. “But chest pain is not always severe or even the most noticeable symptom, particularly in women. Women often describe heart attack pain as pressure or tightness. And it’s possible to have a heart attack without chest pain,” said Dr Vinoth, Sr Consultant Cardiologist at CARE Hospitals, Hitech City.
He listed out some of the symptoms that women experience unrelated to chest pain: Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or upper belly (abdomen) discomfort, shortness of breath, pain in one or both arms, nausea or vomiting, sweating, light-headedness or dizziness, unusual fatigue and heartburn. He added that these symptoms may be vague and not as noticeable because women tend to have blockages not only in their main arteries but also in the smaller ones that supply blood to the heart — a condition called small vessel heart disease or coronary microvascular disease. Compared with men, women tend to have symptoms more often when resting, or even when asleep. Emotional stress can play a role in triggering heart attack symptoms in women. Doctors mentioned that lifestyle issues such as smoking and alcoholism make one more prone to heart attacks. Other factors include diabetes, hypertension, obesity, lack of physical activity and exercise, and high cholesterol in blood and food.
“Pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure or diabetes during pregnancy can increase the mother’s long-term risk of heart disease. Family history of early heart disease appears to be a greater risk factor in women than in men.Inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and other inflammatory conditions may increase the risk of heart disease in both men and women,” added Dr Vinoth.
“I would say it is more of ignorance and lack of time on a woman’s part. Be it a working professional or a homemaker, women tend to ignore their ailments more often than men, especially in India. I was trained at a high-volume tertiary cardiac centre in Chennai and during my six years tenure, I saw that a late diagnosis is more prevalent not just with respect to the heart but also with hypertension, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia. They are often either untreated or insufficiently managed making them more prone to a high-risk heart condition with a poorer heart function. Late presentation and late diagnosis leads to them getting a bypass surgery while they could get a simpler angioplasty if treated in time,” said Dr Sweta Ramani, Assistant Professor and superspecialist at ESIC Superspecialty Hospital.
Besides above mentioned causes, women’s access to healthcare is less as compared to men’s. They are less likely to reach the hospital in time and get the required intervention and treatment. They are also less likely to get the money for treatment and also to show compliance with the treatment. That reduces their chances to get treated.
When to see a doctor
“If you have symptoms of a heart attack or think you’re having one, call for emergency medical help immediately. Don’t drive yourself to the emergency room unless you have no other options,” said Dr Vinoth.