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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I have prayed for you Alexandra. Do not throw away your confidence for it carries a great compensation.
Hello, my name is Alexandra and I am 25. Three years ago I was diagnosed with anxiety, depression and panic attacks. I did medical treatment and felt better and at the doctor’s advice, I gradually gave up on my meds. I was diagnosed with all that due to my fast heart beats and terror. After a few months the palps restarted. I visited another doctor and he put me in psychiatrical medication again. This time I did feel better mentally, but my heart palps continued. Anyways, I did a lot of tests, including all blood tests, heart tests, I even checked my teeth…everything. They found nothing, everybody told me it was all in my head. Now I even have extrasystols from time to time and back and shoulder pains. I do work alot o the computer and don’t exersise. I am though pretty active, never smoked, never drank, eat pretty healthy. Still, I did tests again, including heart ecography. Nothing. I arrived at the er’s many times and everyone told me I was severely depressed. But I have this weakness in my body, my back and I have heart palps. What more should I do? Where should I go now?? Will someone please start praying for me, I am losing my strength and faith…
i am 25 me and my husband do not smoke but all of my childhood i was around people who smoked anywhere for 2 people to 6 in one room i was born with a heart murmur i get shortness of breath sometimes just walking around and tightness in my chest my moms dad had 2 heart attacks and 2 strokes the second one killed him both of my great grandfathers on my moms side died of heart attacks my dad had his first heart attack at 46 and another at 48 he has stints in his heart they all smoke i was wondering if i have a high chance of having one or no sice i dont smoke and im a female also when i eat bread w peanut butter i get a tightness in my chest
You are so right Nancy, it is really scary not to know what is wrong with our bodies. that’s why we often need to be our own advocates for medical care and ensure that our doctors don’t just dismiss our symptoms. This can be exhausting(speaking from personal experience)but so good that you are putting your trust in God. If you would want one of our online mentors to walk alongside of you in this journey and pray for you, just fill in the form on this page and one of them will be in touch.http://powertochange.com/experience/need-prayer/
Hello Bridgette,
This happened about a year ago. I still have weird symptoms like arm, chest and jaw pain but not to the degree of when I had the heart attack. I noticed that after the attack it seems like it opened a floodgate to different symptoms. One of my doctors thinks that I suffered from a virus that attacked my intestines and heart and that now I have vasospasms. Bridgette that is very kind of you, I would greatly appreciate it if you did :) my family and I pray. Its a scary thing not to know whats wrong with me but I put my trust in God.
Hi Florence, I am not sure what tests can be done but I would recommend that you contact your doctor to explore the cause of your symptoms.
I am a 32 yr old female. I wanted some answers in regards to the way I’ve been feeling the last 3 days. I feel drained, no energy, lathagic, weak, and I don’t know just not myself and it doesn’t feel like flu springs , this feeling is one I’ve never experienced. I wouldn’t of thought much about it before, but the more I continue to read , all my symptoms point to something with the heart. Anyways yesterday I started getting painful pains in my left shoulder just randomly and today into my left arm. I also have pain in my left wrist but it’s fused so I thought it was from that injury. Then I felt faintish/pale earlier so I poured water on me. But it was extremely hot out and the heat makes me feel sick sometimes. I felt neausious for 3 days as well but the heat could do it too. Lastly, i have been sweating horrifically for days no matter what I do. But I was put through surgical menopause a yr ago and I have a hard time cooling off once hot so I thought my hot flashes were getting worse or my estrogen levels were low. I take Premarin due to me not being able to produce any estrogen on my own. Now I read heart attacks is a side affect’! My goodness it seems like something is wrong but I have a few pre existing conditions that may also b the problem. What outpatient tests can they preform to know what’s going on and if it’s heart related?
thank’s for the share the information about heart disease
Heart disease is the mainly refers to any disease and condition of the heart, symptoms of heart disease in women causes a myriad of heart attacks in women from chest pain in women to heart failure.
Dear Nancy,
Thanks for posting your story to this article. That is crazy and seems so odd that you would have a heart attack looking at your health history. When did this happen to you? I hope that you are doing/feeling better since realizing that you had a mild heart attack. Has anyone prayed for you specifically about this experience? May I pray for you?
Hello,
I am a 26 year old female and experienced a mild heart attack at the age of 25. I am not over weight, don’t smoke and drink socially. I considered myself healthy before the heart attack. I started with a mild case of colitis and 5 days later started experiencing extremely painful jaw and left wrist pain. On the 6th day I woke up with neck , back, jaw and arm pain. My chest felt heavy as if my back had collapsed. I was clammy and nauseaos, I even vomitted. I went to the ER and it took them like 12 hours to figure out I had had a heart attack. My cardiologist cant give an explanation of why this happened to me. He did an angiogram and found no abnormalities. I still get weird symptoms like chest pain and sharp pain in my body but DR.s never find anything wrong with me. Its driving me crazy. Hope my story helps a bit.
The recent statistics on younger women getting heart attacks is too obvious for anyone to ignore any longer and dismissing the symptoms as a panic attack is simply unforgiveable. A couple of months ago, my 45-year old cousin who by all appearances was pretty healthy started experiencing acute pain in her chest. Luckily her sister was visiting that day and insisted she would take her to the hospital. When they got there, the doctor did some tests and said she had suffered a minor heart attack. He recommended some medication and other treatment measures and she’s been okay since but it did come as a shock to us all and has served as a timely wake up call to everyone in the family. Heart Disease In Women
Hi April,
Please note that we are not doctors nor can we give you medical advice. Sounds like you are already taking proper steps in dealing with your health concerns. Seeing your doctor, going for various test, and taking your medication as prescribed are all good things for you to do. In your comment you said, “I have anxiety but this has been for quite a long time now.” If you have not done so already, you may want to talk with your doctor about the anxiety you are battling. Sometimes anxiety can bring on some of the things you have mentioned. Try not to “over think” for this brings on undue stress. Keep up with the good work of watching what you eat and may I suggest incorporating a bit of exercise to help with the anxiety. The only other thing I’d suggest is for you to write down your concerns and/or new symptoms and bring that list with you next time you see your doctor.
hello. i am 19 years old and hypertensive. i am currently on my work up to find out the underlying cause of my hypertension. my doctor didn’t have me test for anything that would be wrong in my heart, i don’t know why. we started with my kidneys and all lab result came normal. we’re moving to the adrenal glands next next week. i am not fond of any fatty foods and i am not overweight as well. i’m only about 102lbs. i don’t smoke nor drink heavy alcohol. just red wine. i’ve been having a healthy diet for almost 2 months now which includes not eating fast food, avoiding salty foods and eating more fruits and vegetables. i am on my meds which are beta blocker and angiotensin II receptor antagonist. the thing is, i’ve been having occasional sensation in my chest. by occasional i mean, let’s say like once or twice a week for the past two weeks now. but i must say that this occurs VERY rarely. and the only last for about 5-5seconds. a minute being the maximum. and my nape feels like its muscle being stretched. but other than that, no other symptoms. i have anxiety btw but this has been for quite a long time now. i had chest pains before like, a year ago. and i had that check up to a doctor and told me that it’s only muscle pain as i had no other symptoms. those chest pains eventually went away and right now i’m having what i currently said. i tend to overthink but i just want assurance. what do you think? :/
Dear Shyanne, Being that you are only 16 I highly suggest that you speak with your parents about this troubling condition. You might want to make an appointment with your doctor to have it checked out.
I’m 16 and I am having chest and back pain on my left side, under left breast. The pain is throbbing and consist and is in the same general area front and back. I’m not sure what the pain is. Any help?
Christine, All I can give you is the same suggestion I’ve given to the others – if you are concerned and you are able to go to the doctor, that is the best option. Only a trained professional can assess your symptoms and diagnose whether or not there is an issue. I know for myself it’s better to go to the doctor and know than to sit at home and wonder. (But I’m in Canada so there’s no cost to me to see a doctor. I know that’s not the case for everyone.)
You described yourself as a stressed, type A personality. Are there ways to reduce the stress in your life? Is the stress just a season or is it a way of life? We can all benefit from less stress whether it getting some exercise, getting more sleep, spending more time outside or taking something out of the schedule so that there’s more time to breathe. There are always going to be some things that we can’t change, but I think that overall we have more control over our lives than we realize. If we really want to make a change, there is almost always a way to do so. It just depends on what we are and are not willing to do to make the change.
Hi Christine, I would never recommend waiting to see if health issues resolve. You seem to have a number of symptoms that should be addressed by your doctor.
I am a 48 yr old female who is overweight and suufers from HTN and high cholesterol. I am an extremely stressful person. Suffer from type A personalty who has had chest pressure and tightness in throat with some back pain across my shoulder blades for about three weeks un reslove with the use of antacids and analgesics and OTC prilose and prevacid or zantac. It has me scared and nervous. What should I do? My blood pressure run into the 190/110 at times. Been having som.e palpations. No SOB. Alittle light headed last several days. Not sure if I should be checked or its gallbladder or just reflux. And maybe if I wait it will resolve.
Kristen, We are not doctors nor can we give medical advice. However, going to see a doctor or visiting a local clinic to get checked out might be a wise thing to do.
Hi there,
I am a 25 year old female. I am a non smoker, I quit four and a half years ago. I have two children, 7 and 2. When I was pregnant with my youngest I had gestational diabetes. I am underweight, and I have hashimoto’s thyroiditis. My grandmother had diabetes, and my grandfather has had multiple heart attacks and now has congestive heart disease.
In about February of this year, I was experiencing frequent palpitations in my upper abdomen, right below my ribcage. My doctor had me wear a heart monitor for 24 hours, but then I didn’t experience any more, so all looked normal. It hasn’t happened since. However, three times today I have experienced chest pain (kind of a cross between aching and stabbing), right in the center of my chest, and palpitations. The first time I was angry because my youngest child was hitting my other child, and I was putting him in time out. The second time I was on the floor playing with him, and the third time I was lifting my oldest into her bed from the floor. I have not felt nauseous, or vomited. I normally feel lightheaded almost every time I stand up, so it’s hard to say if that is something I am experiencing as a symptom of whatever is going on or not.
I know that it is impossible to know what is going on without medical tests. I am just curious if this is something I should go to the ER for or if they would just send me away… I have no insurance and cannot afford to go to the hospital for no reason. Thank you.
Rose, I cannot tell you what to do, but if I was experiencing those symptoms, I would make an appointment with my doctor. Is there someone who could go with you so it would be less scary? It may be that you’d only need to see your doctor and would not have to go to the hospital, but I can’t say for sure. I am not a doctor. It’s important to take care of your health, even more so when there are children who depend on you.
Hi, I guess I just need confirmation that I am not experiencing something normal that I can ignore, before I find a doctor to see me…. :)
I am 26, petite, smoking since preteen other than stopping during my two pregnancies. No idea about family history. I had to check my blood sugar 4 times a day during both pregnancies but I don’t recall them ever actually saying diabetes (or gestational diabetes). I don’t regularly see a doctor. Last visit was in 2008 when I had my tubes tied with the Essure procedure at 22 during my 6 week checkup for that birth. Last before that was when I gave birth to my first child in 2004. I didn’t go back for the 6 week follow up. I have always passed out and had seizures since I was about 11 or 12. I still have them and they come on pretty sudden. For the last 2 years, I sweat even when I am cold, clammy hands, dizziness, general feeling of being unwell, tired all the time, coma-like sleep where nothing can wake me up, I get a lot of tingling or numbness in my left arm. I get tightness in my chest, a few times it was a stabbing pain that I couldn’t even breather through. I just have to let it pass. Usually, it is tightness or pressure in my chest and/or back and pain in my left shoulder or back. When I lay flat on my back or nearly flat, I will sometimes get the tightness around my chest and back and pain in my back or shoulder. I am so young, I just don’t want to go talk to a doctor and they think I am being dramatic or trying to convince them I am sick. I really avoid hospitals as much as possible as they make me very uncomfortable. I left immediately (within a couple hours) after giving birth to both my children because I just couldn’t take being there. I really don’t want to go unless I need to. Hospitals make me very anxious. Thank you.
Cheri, There is no way to diagnose a person over the internet, and as we are not doctors we cannot give medical advice. If you are concerned the best option is to make an appointment with your doctor and get checked out. Do you find that you deal with anxiety often? If so, that might also be something that your doctor can assist you with.
hello. i am a 23 year old woman and i tend to get many of the above mentioned symptoms. recently today i have had shortness of breath and my hear beating far too rapidly when all i was doing was sitting on the computer, reading. i am very worried since i live so very far away from a hospital. if i have a heart attack and call 911 nobody will reach me in time! my only ride to town is an elderly neighbor. shecnat always take me to town when i need it as she has trouble with moveing around from time to time. im quite scared and not sure what to do! i need to be absolutly certain that i have a problem and that it is not anxiety before a worry my neighbor to take me into the hospital. please tell me what i should do!
Sincerly,
Cheri N. Kirk
Michelle, I know choosing to go see a doctor is a difficult decision when finances are tight. That’s going to be something that you and your husband will have to work out together. However, it is always a good idea to be in communication with your doctor when symptoms like these show up, especially when there is family history with heart disease. Even to be able to describe your symptoms to your doctor and hear what the possible causes might be, the tests that will determine more accurately the cause and the costs of all that. You are then armed with more information so you and your husband can make a decision based on facts rather than speculation.
I am a 36 year old female. For the past 3 days I have been experiencing migraines, hot flashes, slight chest pains and left arm numbness. I don’t have any insurance and my husband thinks I’m fine. I exercise 4 times a week, eat plenty of fruits and veggies, don’t smoke or drink. I do have heart disease and stroke in my genes. Should I wait it out and see if the numbness goes away?
Dear Amy, Three weeks is a long time to wait to get checked out. If you are still experiencing pain and your insurance covers an ER visit while out of state it would be wise for you to go and have them check you out. Pain in our bodies is not normal…it is an indication that something is not right. Since you are experiencing multiple symptoms a trip to the local ER (which is covered by your insurance) while out of state most likly is your best move at this point. However, if you decide to wait it out till you get back home, I highly recommend if the pain gets worse for you not to wait and get to the ER. Let us know how things go if you feel like sharing such results with us at a later date.
Back in April i had an EKG and other tests to make sure i wasn’t at risk for heart attack. In May i had to care for my father who had a mini stroke. I haven’t been too stressed but started smoking two cigarettes a day and yet walk every day and eat a sensible diet. My doctor said there’s an extremely low chance of me suffering from heart attack. I did have several panic attacks following a car accident in January. Around 3am today i felt pain in my left shoulder, slight pressure under breasts, an mild nausea, had a bad headache between my eyes and temples too. My left ear drum was “flickering” right at bedtime then subsided. I haven’t yet gone into REM sleep due to my discomfort. With panic attacks my pulse races and it usually happens in the middle of sleeping. The discomfort is subsiding now but I’m still worried. We will be returning home in three weeks and i could see my doctor but my insurance would only cover visiting the ER if I’m out of state.
Sincerely Troubled,
Amy
Debbie, I highly suggest that you get in to see your doctor as soon as possible. If you are unable to see a doctor them your best bet is to go immediatly to the ER room of your local hospital. They will be able to conduct test right away that will let them know if you did in fact experience a heart attack. Also, since heart disease runs on both sides of your family it would be wise to see a heart specialist as well. Please do not put off this experience you had last night. Take it seriously and get it checked out. What you explained sounds like the real might had experienced a heart attack! Again, please get in to see someone immediatly. Hope to hear back from you in regards to how things go.
Hi my name is debbie im 37 I have heart disease on both sides of family..ive been havin chest pains for quite sometime..im always tired I have night sweats and have had for quite sometime I been thinkn its due to me getn older mayb premetapausal but last night on our way home from a friends house I felt really dizzy,nauseated any was hurtin terribly in my chest in the middle under my breasts It was breath takin the pain lasted for quite a few minutes then it eased off..today I feel really tired and my chest feels like its bruised or somethin on the inside or should I say tender to the touch im kinda short of breath but I always feel tired and short of breath..are the symptoms I explained sign of something wrong?
Hi my name is debbie im 37 I have disease on both sides of family..ive been havin chest pains for quite sometime..im always tired I have night sweats and have had for quite sometime I been thinkn its due to me getn older mayb premetapausal but last night on our way home from a friends house I felt really dizzy,nauseated any was hurtin terribly in my chest in the middle under my breasts It was breath takin the pain lasted for quite a few minutes then it eased off..today I feel really tired and my chest feels like its bruised or somethin on the inside or should I say tender to the touch im kinda short of breath but I always feel tired and short of breath..are the symptoms I explained sign of something wrong?
Dear Alisha, The best thing for you to do is to get in and see your doctor as soon as possible. Your doctor will be able to run test and then advise you of what is wrong and recommend what you need to do in regards to healing from such. You are so young and to be suffering from bad heartburn is not good! I hope you get in to see a doctor soon and let us know how you make out with such.
I’m 22 yrs n 4 years I’ve been experiencing chest pain but never got checked out…n jst recently I hurt my left thumb n at 1st I didn’t. Think nethn of it I thot I had jst jammed my finger but nw da pain goes all da way up my arm n I’ve been having chest pain n a bad pain in my stomach..n also bad heartburn…I’m extremely tired n scared idk wat 2 do
Hi Reekah,
Congratulations on your pregnancy, how exciting! I think it would be a good idea for you to book an appointment with your doctor. Pain is not a natural state for the body – it’s there to let us know that something is wrong. It’s exactly like the check engine light in your car. You can ignore it for a while, but it’s usually best to deal with it right away. It sounds like you’re pretty familiar with what pregnancy related heartburn feels like and this feels different. I have no idea if it’s an issue with your heart or not, I am not a doctor, but better to go to the doctor and be told that it’s just heartburn than to ignore it and find out later that it was something more serious. You’ll probably sleep better knowing what it is.
I am 43 im pregnant with my eighth child. about 4 months before I got pregnant I was suffering with occasional chest pain and symptoms of my left arm hurting. I started exercising very seriously 6 days a week, I haven’t experienced anything else until here recently. when I got pregnant I got morning sickness and haven’t been able to exercise much and my diet changed 3 months into pregnancy I started experiencing heartburn which I thought was strange because normally it doesn’t affect me until the end of my pregnancy. last night I woke up with I thought was the starting of heartburn but it led into severe pain under my left breast. I tried everything I could think of to do for heartburn but nothing would work. I had no other symptoms except got a little nausea from the pain. the paint would get very intense and then it would ease up for about every 30 seconds and get really painful again. after 2 hours the pain started to subside. I was able to get some rest and woke up with a little heaviness. Does this sound like heartburn, acid reflex or maybe heart attack?
Tina and Jazz, you definitely should go see a specialist. Heart attacks are no respecters of persons, in fact a friend of ours with four young children just had a heart attack yesterday!
Genetics definitely plays a huge part in it as you can see in families where both partners eat the same and exercise and one has a heart attack and the other doesnt. God get checked out, you won’t regret it.
Dear Sherry, Just a little info regarding health insurance in the US. Depending upon the individuals health insurance plan they may need a referal to see a specialist. Some health insurance providers do not require such here in the US but a lot of them require a referal from your GP before making an appointment with a specialist. Each person needs to know what type of plan they have and the requirments of such in order to receive the best coverage when going to doctors, routine exams, etc.
To Jazz, Sherry is right…you should get in to see a specialst. The pain that you are describing does not sound right and only a doctor can advise you of such. Being that you are only 20 years of age and already have high Cholestrol is a bit of concern in and of itself. Proper eating and exercising are two wonderful ways in getting your Cholestrol down along with whatever measures your doctor suggest.
Hi Jazz;
I would suggest that you go to see your doctor and ask for a referral to see a cardiologist. If you live in the US, my understanding is, you don’t have to ask for a referral, but a US citizen should be able to correct me on that. I’m Canadian, so here in Canada, unfortunately, we need a referral from our GP’s to see a specialist.
The cardiologist would be able to perform stress tests, echocardiograms and the tests necessary to make sure and diagnose an underlying heart condition or disease related to the heart valve.
God bless and you are in my prayers!
I am 20 years old and over the pass year I have chest pains and abdominal pains during random times. In addition to having tender nipples. Over the last 2 nights I have shortness of breath and sharp pain in my chest neck and shoulder. I was wondering if it was a mini heart attack or if it could be from my high cholesterol.
Tina, I highly suggest that you get in to see a heart specialist. I was taken by surprise when I had a heart attack 30 days before my 45th birthday! I have always been on the slim side and very active BUT was I mistaken…stress was killing me and my heart was in major trouble because of it. It took me a year to recoop from the heart attack and now I have learned to keep stress out of my life as much as best as I can. Again, I urge you to get in to see a heart doctor as soon as possible and to take good care of yourself. God Bless
I am 36 years old and within this past year my doctor did a “body systems” type blood check because he believes in checking numbers (and boy am I glad he did) unlike some who make around-a-bout guesses. I had been experiencing a lot of nausea and even though people say you can’t “feel” hypertension, I just knew that had to be it (I am “high strung” as we say in Texas) anyway. He found I had extremely high cholesterol levels that were abnormally high for my age and of course high blood pressure. I had been a bit more sedentary than ever at this time in my life so that could explain somewhat, but he said “no, this is heart disease and the type of extremely high cholesterol that a very thin person could have, just genetics. Of course this runs in both sides of my family so I was not very surprised to get this diagnosis as I am getting older. But even though I am taking medicines and trying to stay more active, I still have bouts of nausea and I take Ondansetron for that. The scary thing is is that the more stressful times I experience is when I am most nauseous. And I have had the back pain in lower and upper, bouts of indigestion, breathlessness. So should I consult an actual cardiovascular doctor? I feel kind of silly being only 36 and my family doesn’t take it real seriously being as I am just 36 but I guess I am probably answering my own question here and maybe need some support or push to schedule a visit with a heart specialist? Also, are there any super good supplements to go along with my hbp/cholesterol meds that are helpful?
Sincerely and scared,
Tina
Hi Stephanie, I would definitely recommend seeing your doctor if you have questions about your heart. When it comes to the pain in your ankles, one thing you could ask about is something called “repetitive stress injury”. If you’re jumping for hours at a time and you have pain in your ankles, it may be that you need to switch up your exercise routine. A variety of exercises will help to develop all of your muscles in balance rather than focussing all of the stress on just one part. I am not a trainer, but three hours of jumping sounds like quite a lot.
I am 23 years of age and I exercise daily. The problem is that I think I do it to much. I jump on the trampoline 3 hrs a day maybe 4. Its a habit, I listen to music while I do this. I have been doing this since I was 14. The problem is that everytime I do this my right ankle gets inflamed and pains very much, sometimes my left too. When I was born I was told that I was born with my feet turned toward each other and everytime I walk My feet turn inward instead of out, maybe that has something to do with it.Its weird I experiance pain most of the time in my right leg I thought it might be the sciatic nerve. Who knows but I do have severe heart racing problems and sometimes its hard for me to breath. I also experiance tightness in the chest and indegestion! Does anybody have any comments are advice they can give me? I just think sometimes its to much exercise.Is it possible my exercise habits could be causing this? I experiance this quiet often.
Going to see a doctor is definitely the best solution Tara. We can’t give medical advice here and the intent of this article is to make sure that young women realize that they can in fact have heart problems and should seek medical advice.
Laura,
Part of the reason I waited to see my doctor is because I am expecting my period in a couple of days. Regardless of whether it comes or not I plan to visit my doctor and figure out what’s going on. But yes I am aware that a lot of my symptoms sound like pregnancy. We’ll soon find out I guess.
Tara, have you done a pregnancy test? I am 4 weeks pregnant and I am experiencing all of your symptoms. I was awake all night with it. I suffer from cardiac arhythmia anyway – thats why I was browsing websites about heart attacks – but the tender breasts, cramping and nausea you described are all classic signs of pregnancy. My arhythmia is worse during pregnancy (this is my third).
Mike,
My chest pains subsided about a day later, I have chopped it up to an anxiety attack or stress. My boyfriend and I just bought a house so I have been under some stress. However I still don’t sleep well still have other pains and do plan to visit my doctor about it next week.
I am actually moving back to my hometown and will be closer to my family doctor and therefore more inclined to go. There are a number of things that could be causing these problems and frankly I’m sick of dealing with them. If your girlfriend has similar issues a trip to the doctor is the best solution. There’s only so much pain killers and relaxation can do.
Tara,
My girlfriend has similar symptoms. Did you find anything out?
Tara, Pain is not a natural state for the body, it’s a message telling you that something is wrong. Only your doctor can assess whether it’s something serious or something minor, but if you’re in pain, especially if you have multiple symptoms at the same time a trip to the doctor is a wise move.
I am a 22 year old female, average height and weight and no previous medical conditions. I am on birth control an quit smoking about a year and a half ago. A couple of nights ago while trying to sleep I was disrupted by heart palpitations. I have had them in the past but not for about 4 years. At the time I was checked for a murmur and had an ECG. Nothin of was found and that was the end of it. Until recently. The palpitations happend about two nights ago and last night some new symptoms arised. I’ve had tender breasts and nipples for a couple of days but thought nothing of it. Last night inexperienced moderate cramping in my lower abdonmine. Almost like period cramping. I also have a dull back ache between my shoulder blades, a headache, nausea, and a tightness in my chest.
I tend to think the worst of all my ailments and I do plan to see a doctor if they do not subside soon. Just wondering if these sound as serious as I’m making them out to be.