I'm normally a little skeptical when advocacy groups designate certain months to raise awareness of specific diseases. The cause is certainly worthy, but I'm not sure that these public relations campaigns make much of a difference – especially when there seem to be so many of them. Some studies have shown "awareness fatigue" with so many campaigns around. Nonetheless, I'm a fan of The Heart Truth, a campaign this month sponsored by the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute and a number of other organizations to tell women more about how heart disease affects them.
It's aimed at women 40 to 60, which is the time when women's risk of heart disease increases. The campaign has many messages, but I think one of the most useful is recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack, which can be different for women than men. Every year, more women die of heart disease than all kinds of cancer combined so knowing these symptoms could truly be a lifesaver.
While some women do experience that chest-crushing pain that is typical for men's heart attacks, many others have more subtle symptoms that we – and our doctors — may easily misinterpret. Early signs that heart attack may be ahead include:
· Unusual fatigue
· Sleep disturbance
· Shortness of breath
· Indigestion
· Anxiety
In a major study of female heart patients, some of these symptoms appeared a month or more earlier. Even more surprising, 43 percent of women in the study said they had no chest pain during the heart attack itself and those who did have pain felt it in their back and higher on their chest. Other symptoms of an acute attack are:
· Shortness of breath
· Weakness
· Unusual fatigue
· Cold sweat
· Dizziness
· Radiating pain or pressure
If you are experiencing any of these for more than 10 minutes and they don't go away when you lie down, call 911 immediately. Do not try to drive yourself to the hospital.
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