Heart attack in women: 5 signs that are confused with anxiety

Racknowledging the signs of a heart attack is important to be able to act best and avoid more serious problems. A woman’s health specialist revealed some signs of a heart attack that many people confuse with anxiety.

Nighar Arif revealed in a TikTok video some of the signs of a heart attack that women end up undervalued and considered unserious. “You may be very anxious is what many women hear while their hearts are literally fighting for oxygen” starts with the expert.

Heart attack in women: Is it anxiety?

“ I see this too in my clinics, because we've been taught that heart attacks always need you to hold on to your chest. It's sharp, it's dramatic, of course. But over the years, as someone who works in women's health, I realized that, in women, it's not quite like that. It’s quieter, it’s easy to ignore, it’s easier to go unnoticed.”

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So it reveals some of the warning signs of a heart attack that many women confuse with anxiety. This is the case of unexplained breathlessness, persistent nausea, back pain, feeling that something is not well and flu-like symptoms.

“ Young women are twice as likely to die the year after a heart attack compared to men of the same age. This is not because their hearts are weaker, but because their symptoms have been ignored, discarded or delayed. That's not uncommon, it happens every day. Women have risk factors for cardiovascular diseases and often tell them that it is probably just anxiety” reveals Nighar Arif.

Different heart attack in men and women?

Are heart attacks different in men and women? The British Heart Foundation, quoted by the newspaper Mirror, states that this is a myth and that the symptoms end up being different from person to person with no relationship to sex.

“Symptoms may vary from person to person, but there are no symptoms that are more common in women than in men. However, this may have a detrimental impact and makes women less likely to seek treatment.”

They also reveal some of the most common symptoms of heart attack through sudden chest pain and discomfort and also a pain that can extend to the arms, neck, back and stomach. Nausea, excessive sweating, dizziness and shortness of breath are other symptoms you should take into account.