Women's Heart Health - Heart attack symptoms and the ways to care for yourself

Cardiovascular diseases claim the lives of women every 80 seconds (AHA, 2020). While most of us are familiar with the iconic red dress, that symbolizes the American Heart Association’s, Go Red For Women Campaign. Not all of us are familiar with the statistic that doctors may be more likely to dismiss heart attack symptoms as not heart-related in women younger than 55. Researchers interviewed close to 3,000 individuals, both women, and men and found that 53 percent of women said their provider didn’t think their symptoms were heart-related, compared with 35 percent of men. (Harvard Health Publishing, 2018). This is because sixty-two percent of women present with more than three non-chest pain symptoms, compared to 54.8 percent of men. Because of this, 53 percent of women said their healthcare provider, misinterpreted or ignored young women who need care (Healthline, 2020). Additionally, women delay seeking care for symptoms such as dizziness or shortness of breath. In a small study conducted on women, ages 30 to 55, the most common reason why women delayed seeking care is that they had trouble recognizing the symptoms of a heart attack (Sing, 2015).  If women experience three-non-chest pain symptoms of a heart attack, what are all of the warning signs?