Yes…Young Women Can Have Heart Attacks!
Not too long ago I was told a terrifying tale about a young woman and a heart attack. The 40-year-old woman arrived at the emergency room of her local hospital displaying a multitude of symptoms that made it clear that a heart attack was in progress - at least it was obvious to a nurse in the ER.
After hooking the woman up to medications to help deal with the attack, the nurse alerted other doctors to the case and then went home at the end of her shift figuring all was well. When the nurse returned to work the next day, she was shocked to discover that doctors in the ER had stopped the medications, told the woman she was simply having a panic attack and sent her home. The woman suffered major damage to her heart.
Unfortunately, many doctors don’t suspect a heart attack when they see a young woman with chest pain. And, while it’s true that heart attacks are more common among young men than young women, women are not exempt . Figures from the National Center for Health Statistics show that in 1998, approximately 11,000 women under the age of 45 were hospitalized for heart attacks.
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When a heart attack strikes a young woman, she is likely to suffer debilitating damage or die. In a study that looked at gender differences among heart attack victims, researchers found that heart attacks were far more likely to be deadly if the victim was female. In fact, when Dr. Viola Vaccarino and her colleagues looked only at patients under age 50, they found that twice as many women as men died in the days following a heart attack.
Part of the explanation for this frightening statistic is that young women with heart attacks often get either no treatment or they receive delayed care. Sometimes women, and sometimes their doctors, miss the attack because they don’t realize that the symptoms of a heart attack may vary with the patient’s gender, says Vaccarino, an assistant professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Medicine. Compared to men, during a heart attack women are much more likely to experience back pain, indigestion and nausea and/or vomiting, rather than chest pain, as their symptoms, according to an earlier study by Vaccarino.
And while the bigger teaching hospitals are beginning to catch on, it’s still not uncommon for doctors at smaller institutions to miss heart attacks in younger women, says Dr. Marianne Legato, founder and director of The Partnership for Women’s Health and a professor of clinical medicine at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York City. Legato recently reviewed the records for a young woman in her 20s who showed up at a hospital complaining of nausea and vomiting, as well as chest pain. The possibility that the woman might be having a heart attack never occurred to the doctors examining her. She was dead within 48 hours.
When Vaccarino and her colleagues looked at death rates from heart attacks in young people, they found that misdiagnosis and delays in medical care could only explain part of the discrepancy between men and women. This is an area that needs further research, she says.
But, while doctors are at a loss to explain why heart attacks occur in otherwise healthy young women, they have pinpointed a group who are at an elevated risk. Women who smoke, are obese, have diabetes and/or high blood pressure are more likely than others to have a heart attack, Legato says. “And diabetes is a much more important risk factor for women than men,” she adds. “Once you have it, your risk for [heart disease] is four to six times higher.”
Ultimately, women need to know the signs of a heart attack and demand proper care if they think they may be having one. If you have risk factors for a heart attack, no matter whether you are in your 20s or 30s or 40s, and you feel you are experiencing a heart attack, don’t allow the doctor to dismiss your symptoms as indigestion or anxiety. Tell them you want to be tested. If you don’t, the consequences could be deadly.
The following symptoms could signal heart ills:
- Angina (chest pain). Can also include back pain or deep aching and throbbing in the left or right bicep or forearm.
- Breathlessness. Also may include waking up having difficulty catching one’s breath.
- Clammy perspiration.
- Dizziness. Unexplained lightheadedness, even blackouts.
- Edema. Swelling, particularly of the ankles or lower legs.
- Fluttering. Rapid heartbeats.
- Gastric upset (or nausea).
- Heavy fullness. Also may include pressure-like chest pain between breasts and radiating to left arm or shoulder.
If you are experiencing these symptoms please do not wait, contact a doctor immediately for your own safety.
Sources: ACOG/Medical Tribune News Service
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This seem to be a big issue in the Blog. If you are suffering from any of the systems that have been presented here, then a person needs to see a doctor, as my friend alwasy says-do not full with it. Go right to emerge and be content to what the Lord is doing by getting your attention. He told a king in the OT. that he needed to go in the water that God chose in stead of his own choosing and he would be healed. So he went and did it and was healed. I think the same with the heart as it is serious business.
MB,
Only you can decide whether or not to see a doctor but if your body is doing things it doesn’t usually do then seeing a doctor is your best option. I know you’re on vacation so you’ll need to figure out whether this is something that can wait or not. Do you have travel medical insurance? If you do then you can see a doctor now and not have to wait. It could be nothing or it could be something, only a medical professional can tell you.
Hi there, I feel a little bit like a hypochondriac even writing this- but I am a 21 year old woman and today I had what felt like my second panic attack in two days. I would be happy to accept this as it appears (anxiety) however, there was no trigger in either case (this morning when I woke up I already felt on the verge) and I have only had one before in my life. Also, my family has a serious heart health history and my father passed away from his only heart attack at 46 so I am very wary. I haven’t found anything very helpful on the internet to clearly distinguish symptoms of these two possibilities? My heart was racing and I had some shortness of breath and slight dizziness (probably due to shortness of breath) but no pain. However I still have pressure in both my forearms?
Any advice would be appreciated- I am on vacation in the UK and not at home in the states so visiting a doctor is something I’ve been avoiding.
I will pray for you. Lord i lift up my sister to you at this time and ask that You will guid her to the right physcision in her area as she needs medical treatment. I am a blog mentor here and als Lord I ask that you will heal her of this situation in her life.
In Jesus MightyName Amen
I woke up today with SEVERE mid back pain…felt almost as if my back needed cracked! I have had an uneventful day today and yesteray. The pain has progressed since earlier today, to the point where I can’t move. When I do move, it is accompanied by shortness of breath. I do not have chest pain, abdominal pain, nausea, or vomiting. It is scarying me…especially after reading these comments.
I took 800mg of Ibuprofen over an hour ago with no relief. Any sugguestions?!?!
To Sarah B…may I suggest that you go to your local ER for help. When I was in the middle of my heart attack I went to the ER and when they did blood work they knew I was having a heart attack. Had I gone to the doctor most likely they would have missed the fact that I was having a heart attack because of my outward appearance…looking heathly and thin. Many times doctors misdiagnose what is happening and that is why you need to perserver in getting the proper diagnose…did your doctor have blood work done on you? Certain levels in your blood will let them know right away if you are having a heart attack.
Go back to the doctor SarahB….only he can tell for sure if it is heart attack or not!
I’m 25 and for the past week I’ve had squeezing pains in my chest and in my left arm and both hands. I’ve also had sharp pains in my lower jaw and heart flutters. I went to the doctor and he told me that it was a viral infection that will hurt when I breath or move. It does not hurt when I breath or move, it is there all the time even when resting. What should I do? If I go back to the doctor he will just say the same thing.
Skipping beats is not uncommon and can be very normal for some people.However I know from personal experience that it can be a strange feeling until you know for sure what is causing it.
I am a 27 year old female and have had every heart test out there. I have spent a lot of money on these test but they have given me a piece of mind (somewhat). My last one was a stress test and I have had an EKG, heart monitor, etc and so far everything seems to be fine. My heart feels like it’s skipping beats sometime and I occasionally scare myself so much thinking I am having a heart attack. It’s funny though that when I’m in a social setting I don’t seem to think about it and feel fine. I am tired a lot and have had shortness of breath for years now. Still to this day I don’t regret getting any of the tests done even if it’s going to take me awhile to pay all the bills. Better safe than sorry!
Thanks for posting Melissa and Barbara….the important thing to get out of all these comments is that young women MUST get the right tests because they can in fact be having heart attacks that could be fatal.
Dear Crystal, What you are experiencing is not normal….please take action ASAP! The doctor that took a look at you could be totaly WRONG! The pale clamy discomfort and the pain in the jaw and neck are the real thing when it comes to having a heart attack. I did not loose conciousness in the midst of my own heart attack and had all the symptoms you stated. When I went to the ER they didn’t think i was having a heart attack at first because of my age, looks and lean body….little did they know…when my blood work was completed i was in the midst of a heart attack…please get to a heart specialist right away or to the local ER…my husband took me to the ER and that is where the blood work and ekg showed that i was in the middle of having one. the next time you have these symptoms… it might be tooooo late…please get help today!
ps i am 26 years old
a few weeks ago my legs and feet suddenly started swelling up very bad. so much so that my skin was burning. That same day for about 2 minutes i had this tight feeling in mychest. it was not painful but just uncomfortable. the next day i went to the doctor, he checked out my feet, and i told him about the feeling i had in my chest the day before. he said i was too young to have a heart problem, and to just come back in two weeks if my feet were still swollen. then three days ago while at school, i got this real sharp pain in the center of my chest close to my stomach. it spread all the way up my neck, jaw and ears. it felt like i was having a huge charlie horse. i started sweating got very pale, and had to sit down all this lasted a total of maybe 3 minutes. then the next day i was driving to my friends house when i suddenly got the same feeling only it was so bad that i had to pull over my car for about 15 minutes till it stopped. im kinda worried about this. i figure if i was really having a heart attack that i would have went unconcious or something. are these warning signs or could this be the real thing?
Dear Melissa,
Thank you for posting. I am so sorry for your loss and I hope and pray that the young girls that have posted to this devotional will take your suggestion seriously. I had a heart attack 30 days before my 45th birthday..it was horrible and the pain was unbearable! Hopefully by you sahring your loss and what had happended to your daughter the other young ones will take action and not just settle for a doctor saying they are ok. Test and blood work are the best ways to find out if something is wrong with the heart. May the LORD comfort both you and your husband in your loss.
My 20 year old daughter died 11 months ago playing soccer. She was the fittest she had ever been. She played at college level. Please have an echocardiogram if you can!!!!! There are so many young people out there with undetected heart problems that could be treated in they just had there heart scanned. That is the only way for the cardiologist to know what is going on. If my daughter would have had this she would be with us today. You can’t imagine the pain my husband and I go through everyday. Please don’t let anything stop you from having this done! God bless, a mom who desperately misses her baby girl!
Hello my name is Shondra I am 26 years old, and I have been experiencing pressure, tightness, and discomfort in my chest…when the pressure comes my heart rate seems to increase; I’ve also experience extreme fatigue and muscle weakness; not to mention all of this has been accompanied with shortness of breathe. Sometimes my left shoulder and arms get numb. Which scares me. I was hospitalized on Sunday, they saw changes in my EKG when the pressure in my chest was present, and when it would release the EKG would read normal. I went to the cardio specialist and he assured me that everything was fine; but I strongly as though its something and he is not catching it. He diagnosis me with Angina and gave me some medication; is there anyone else experiencing the same thing I have?
Wow Tiffany that is really scary to realize that you could have a 100% blockage in a coronary artery at the age of 28!! You must be so thankful for your friend that happened to be visiting! I think we all need to listen to our bodies and be more in tune with what is normal and what isn’t.
Very true stuff here. Ladies listen to your bodies! I was 28 and had a massive heart attack from a 100% blockage in my right coronary artery. I was healthy appearing and normal weight at time of heart attack. My friend that happened to be visiting at the time googled my symptoms and decided to call 911 right away when the search results basically told us to. I was revived 6 times in the ER and cath lab. I was on life support for 2 days. I am so lucky to be alive! I have 3 stents now and its 4 years later. I am doing well, but I always listen to my body. When it’s not feeling right, I tell my doctor right away.
It means you should go get it checked out Shari….read some of the comments above.
I have sharp pains on the left side of my chest what does that mean?
That’s incredible Tina! Thanks for sharing with us! Most 29 year olds would not have recognized it for what it was!
Hello everyone, I am 29 year old women and I had a heart attack. The symptoms were flu like, I was sweating, I had vomited and had a mild pain on the right side of my neck. I did not believe the worst, I called the emergency room after the pain became more sereve and I had trouble breathing. When the paramedics arrived they did a EKG and saw signs of heart trouble and took me to the hosiptal where I was diagnoised with a heart attack. I never would of believed that I was having a heart attack but good thing I did not wait and pass my symptoms off as the flu. This disease does not discrimante, it is a silent killer along women and I am glad that I am able to share my story. This disease can be preventable and caught in time your life can be saved. Please dont wait if you ever have strange feelings inside your body, know your body and if your body is screaming for help go get it. Your body will tell you what is wrong you just have to listen.
Good to know Barbara…I will keep that in mind as well.
Jesse, Blood work is needed to be done..the ekg may not show that you had a heart attack…blood work is very important…that is how they knew i was having a heart attack….
Good that you are getting an EKG jesse…that’s the best way to be sure!
Hello, I’m a 26 year old female. I’m overweight (rapid weight gain over the past two years) and yesterday I was admitted to the emergency room with most of these symptoms. The most troubling symptom for me was the anxiety I felt earlier in the day – I was out shopping and was convinced someone was going to shoot me in the head from behind (how completely irrational!)
Once at the ER, I was diagnosed with abdominal pain, but I continue to have chest and back pain today. I have an appointment today for a follow up and I will be asking for an EKG to see if I had a heart attack… all signs are pointing to yes…
Yes! This young for women to have heart attacks at a young age. I still agree that one should take medical examination every year to se how our bodies are doing. I pray that if anyone now is havign heart trouble will seek advice and know for sure how the body is doing. I would go to my own doctor to get check ups.
I just came from an ekg yesterday showing a problem in my heart, a block, was told to go to the cardiologist. Now three weeks ago, I almost fainted. Since then, I have had squeezing in my chest and in my left rib. My left arm has on occasion gone numb and tingly like ants…I have been nonstop nauseous, heartburn, and very week. I am only 27. I am now seeing a thyroid doctor who is running a lot of tests and I have to see him again the 23rd when he has all the results back. My TSH from my initial exam after the almost pass out was abnormal. The doctor decided to do an ekg to rule out my heart. I go in and she notices a problem. I see the cardiologist today. He refused to look at the ekg, told me I was too young to have a heart problem, said he will do an ultra sound on my heart just in case but is 100% sure nothing is wrong. Is it possible for an EKG to show two different things within 24 hours? Scared, agitated, and annoyed!!!! I told the cardiologist I thought he was very cocky and I would like him to actually look at what is in front of him…he was very arrogant!
Dear Becky, Please get in to see someone ASAP! They are able to do blood work to let you know if it was a heart attack. While in the middle of my heart attack I too thought that it would go away BUT the pain just got so unbearable..i broke out in a huge sweet and I had no choice but to have my husband drive me to the hospital. At that time i was under a great deal of stress and my heart took the brunt of the whirlwind I was in…age does not matter. I was only 45 when I had mine and was in very good shape and my weight was always lower than the norm. Please get in ASAP! to see someone.
Becky, While I am not qualified to give you medical advice I would strongly urge you to see a doctor now. Do not wait for this to happen again. If it’s nothing major then at least you’ll know and can stop worrying. But I would hate to think that something serious could be happening and that you could be putting yourself at risk unnecessarily. Pain is an unnatural state for the body, it’s there to tell us that something is wrong. Please don’t ignore what your body is trying to tell you.
Hi, so Im a bit concerened reading all this as last week while walking through the store with my daughter and sister I had such horrible pain I was hunched over the cart trying to walk through the store. I bought alka seltzer thinking it was gas and about ten min later it started to subside, but never fully went away. Then last night I was sitting at my desk and again had the same pain only it was about 10x worse and accompanied by my right ear ringing, and i felt like i couldnt swallow. the pain wrapped all the way around me like someone had a band on me and was just squeezing the crap outta me. I left work and drove to my bfs house, my eyes went black a couple times on the freeway, and i was dizzy. Again I drank alka seltzer, and it somewhat helped, but about 45 min later it was full on painful again. I have a pretty high tolerance for pain but this pain is so intense it had me in tears. I felt like i couldnt take a breath, and had a hard time speaking. afte a while and the second dose of alka seltzer it finally went away enough where i could sleep. I was very very tired at work yesterday too, falling asleep at my desk, i went to bed at 9 last night and slept til 7 this morning. i usually only sleep about 6 hrs a night.. my mom has acid reflux, so i thought thats what was happening. but after reading this site and all the symptoms these ladies have had, im wondering now. i am 37 yrs old, and have pretty high stress in my life right now. my friends are saying its just indegestion, or a panic attack. should i go in now ? or wait til it happens again so they can figure out what it is?? any suggestions?
Yes it’s definitely best to head to the doctors and see what they say about your symptoms sarah and Char.
Sarah, I’ve been experiencing the same exact symptoms! I’m only 24 years old….I’ve been searching online to find some answers, but came up with nothing specific…I guess, it’s to the doctors I go…
I’ve been having really bad chest pains for he last four days. I never had this in my life. It will come out of no where while working , resting. I feel a tight squeeze then I try to breathe and I can’t cause the pain gets worst. I’m left not breathing for a few seconds to a minute then the pain hovers for a few minutes. It’s happened so bad that I almost cry for help, but can’t I’m only 20 yrs old.
Wow Linda that is such a blessing that the nurse caught that the symptoms were more than just an anxiety attack.
Heather, if you have symptoms that are worrisome you should always go see a Doctor. Unfortunately we don’t have any health professionals commenting on this article so we can’t help with identifying your symptoms. Go see a doctor instead.
Our 40 year old daughter suffered a heart attact a month ago, she does not smoke or drink, eats a heart healthy diet, exercices daily and has normal homocystene and cholesteral levels with an above average HDL, neg for any genetic mutations on clotting factors but did indeed have a ruptured plaque in her LAD artery which formed a clot that caused her to have severe chest pressure and pain in both forearms, she went to an urgent care facility in NC and was seen by an older MD who beleived she was having an axiety attack, it was a very alert nurse who picked up on her symptomology and initiated the 911 call that saved her life in a very excellant Hospital in Raleigh, she is doing well now and beleives it may have been the many years on BC pill Yaz, we are thankful that we were all vigilant and took her sypmtoms seriously and that she was in an area that offered immediate cardiac Cath and follow up care….for all the young women out there, do not minimize the signs your body is telling you!
I am a 22 year old female. I work out at least five days a week and I like to stay active. Just this evening I have been experiencing some middle to upper back pain and a little bit of indegestion. The back pain feels kind of like a mixture between burning and cramping. Should I be worried?
Dear Lolly,
I highly recommend that you get in to see a doctor…sounds like something is not right and you should not take those signs for granted. I had a heart attack 30 days before my 45th birthday and was blown away when they told me at the hospital I was in the middle of a heart attack…I thought that it might had been something else…not a heart attack…please get in to see someone asap…the next time you have this type of prolem it might be toooooo late for you. Women need to listen to their body and when pain and other things are taking place such shoule be a huge wake up call and take action immediatley.
Hello I am 42 years old and am wondering if you can advise me. The first incident occurred on 1st Jan 2011 It was quite sudden I felt very tired and odd I had a heavy pain in the centre of my chest that wouldn’t go away no matter how I sat I felt dizzy and my eyes went fuzzy and I was seeing flashes before my eyes, my left arm was numb from my hand to my elbow and I felt I had to go lie down the pain continued but then I fell to sleep my chest still ached the following morning. Then the latest was yesterday I felt quite ill all day giddy but thought it was the heat my stomach felt sore and odd I lay down for an hour and felt much better but in the early hours I woke with a sharp pain felt like it was in my wind pipe it hurt more if I swallowed it would not go away like something was stuck there. I got up and drank some water and sat for 30 mins until it seemed to subside and then went back to bed for a couple of hours. I just wondered if I could possibly be experiencing angina as my mother father and grandparents all have it, I thought I was too young I don’t want to look silly going to the doctor as I feel much better now.
thanks in advance for any advice. Lolly.
Betsy,
And don’t let them tell you it is a panic attack. that is what they initially told me when I got to the emergency room until they did the EKG and within 1/2 hour I was in surgery getting two stents inserted.
Betsy, I am a 43 year old woman who had the same symptoms for about two weeks, before I had a heart attack on 3/13/11. Please go to the cardiologist.
Dear Betsy, I highly recommend that you go to a heart specialist. It seems that heart disease runs in your family if your brother died at such an early age from a heart attack. There are special test that can be done to see if it is hereditary. I had a heart attack 30 days before my 45th birthday…it was so painful I would never want this to happen again…PLEASE get medical care ASAP! you can not wait to see or hope it goes away….by you posting to this sight shows that you are concerned about having a heart attack..listen to the Holy Spirit within you whom is leading you into the truth that there might be a problem with your heart…without a functioning heart you are dead…satan will let you think and beleive that you are ok BUT don’t listen to those lies…learn from your brothers death that you might also have heart disease and yours can be stopped. I pray that you will go the extra mile and get the proper help that you need from a heart specialist..don’t settle for just a primary care doctor…
I’m 24 years old. I feel chest pain, dizziness, nausea, headaches.. lately my symptoms have increased
I’m exhausted but I don’t feel like this every day. My brother died at the age of 23 of a heart attack,
He went several times to the doctor and no one ever found anything wrong . One morning his heart just stopped. Im a little
Scared.. what should I do?
I have had right and left sholder pain for about a week… shotness of breth at times. (like I am just not getting enough air) the pain went just to my left sholder couple days ago. pine dies down yesterday but right back today and feels like the left side only in my chest some thing is crushing it… I can move around and do thing the pain does not incress or decresse. I go to the dr. tues. hope it will be ok till then.
Two years ago my mother had a heart attack. These were her symptoms:
1. Jaw Pain for months before
2. Lethargy for months before
3. Hearing Loss (She explained it this way “It felt like I was underwater and all sounds were distorted”
I exercise and strength train every day now. In hopes to decrease my chances as it is hereditary.
My mother was a smoker, ate a poor diet all her life, did not exercise, was low income.
Listen to your bodies! When it is doing something it doesnt normally do….especially after 40! Don’t ignore it! Go to the doctor straight away!!
Dear Jen,
We are not medical professionals on this site but I would encourage you to go to the Doctors right away. You don’t want to take chances with your heart.
Sincerely,
Leah
I’ve been having some brief chest pain (2-3 minutes) at a time now for several months. Recently it’s been intensifying and spreading up through my neck and jaw. Hurts to swallow and hard to breath. This is also the longest it has ever lasted (20-30 minutes). Could these symptoms just be GERD? I usually feel fine right after the pain is gone. But it’s not from after I eat or anything. I took some tums and that didn’t help at all. Anyone else ever have these symtpoms?
Crystal, Your best bet is to get into your doctors office as soon as possible. If the pain gets worse get to the emergency room immediatly. Some health issues we can not be to laxed in seeking help. We all need to be aware of certain things our bodies are telling us.
im 27 as of yesterday and all day i felt like i had a fluttering or a squeezing in my chest almost all day, at rest or moving around but there was an occasional light stabbing pain in my back, has happened before but only for a second and every great now and then. when i was preg (i have a 7yr old and a 9 yr old) i felt it more often and assumed it was stress from being preg. now that the fluttering and squezing has gone i have a very prominate stabbing in the same place in my back??? no family history of heart attacks that i know of. any ideas on what going on? im still going to the dr monday as everything is very icey here and id prob have to go to the emergency room.