According to Google.com, “Heart Attack Signs,” is one of the most commonly searched terms to date. Men and women, unfamiliar with the symptoms, may be hesitant to call 911 without knowing if they are actually having a heart attack. Don’t be one of those people who waste precious time googling for answers. If you think you are having a heart attack, don’t spend the time trying to figure out if you’re right. Chew an aspirin, and call 911.

Decades of research and experience have squashed the myth that heart disease and heart attack are threats primarily for men. Despite the absence of the Y chromosome in women, the threat of coronary malfunction remains. In fact, heart disease is the cause of death for more women each year than all other diseases combined, and it has killed more woman than men every year since 1984, and the mortality gender gap is continuing to widen.

Symptoms between men and women do vary, which is why many times the signs are ignored. They are not recognized as signs of a heart attack, but instead categorized as a wide range of bodily mishaps, i.e., gas, hot flashes, heartburn, etc. So how do you know if it is really happening? If the sensations you feel are actually the heart warning the rest of your body it is losing blood and oxygen and cannot properly function.

The most common sign of a heart attack is chest pain. Men and women can both experience a tight, pressure feeling, a sense of fullness, or even a squeezing sensation. It does not have to necessarily hurt, but it will be uncomfortable. If any of these symptoms last longer than five minutes, go to the emergency room. Shortness of breath is another common symptom, especially while resting, along with dizziness, lightheadedness, and cold sweats.

Women have a higher risk of dying from a heart attack than men do mostly because they associate the unfamiliar symptoms with something else, and delay getting help. Women are less likely than men to have the typical “Hollywood heart attack,” says Sharonne Hayes, M.D., cardiologist and director of the Mayo Clinic’s Women’s Heart Clinic in Rochester, Minn. Chest pain was not the main symptom in about 46 percent of women who had a heart attack.

Studies have shown that pain in the arm, especially the left, back, neck, shoulder blades, or abdomen could be tell tale signs of an oncoming attack. Jaw and throat pain are also quite common in women, as is nausea, vomiting, and unusual fatigue.

Heart experts say one reason so many women die is that they often don’t heed their symptoms. They may attribute their symptoms to hot flashes, flu, something they ate or their age. When they do realize something might be wrong, they delay consulting their physician.

According to Dr. Hayes of Mayo Clinic, “Women don’t call 911.” In fact, a 2009 American Heart Association survey found that only half of women said they would call 911 if they thought they might be having a heart attack. “They worry, ‘What will the neighbors think?’ or ‘I’ve got to finish fixing dinner for my husband,’ ” Hayes says.

Women are also more likely to consult with friends or call the family doctor, which Hayes says can cause a dangerous delay. “Patients should not be sitting at home trying to diagnose a heart attack,” Hayes says. “They could die doing that.”

After a heart attack, it is common for people to recognize they had symptoms days or weeks earlier that they didn’t recognize – such as extreme fatigue or throat pain. But as many as a quarter of all heart attack victims have a heart attack as a first symptom of heart disease.

Don’t underestimate the signs, and don’t assume. If you experience any of these signs or symptoms, please don’t wait until it’s too late. Consult your doctor, be aware of your heart health, and if you even for a second feel you might be experiencing a heart attack, don’t think, call 911 for immediate medical attention. You’re only given one heart, and one life, it is always better to be safe than sorry.

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