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In every book on cardiology there is a section that outlines various symptoms that individuals should anticipate if they have heart disease. However, the symptoms that are stated are in most cases the symptoms men experience. Interestingly enough, the symptoms of women with angina may be significantly different. In fact, cardiologists refer to the symptoms women feel as “atypical.” Heart disease is fatal for more women than men these days so it really should be the symptoms women experience are typical and those of the men aren’t.

Symptoms

Women with angina frequently feel tenderness to touch, especially in the jaw, shoulders, arms, or back, or burning/hot sensation. In most cases women won’t experience chest discomfort. Doctors aware of the symptoms women feel with angina will suspect any symptom that is above the woman’s waist that includes discomfort. Unfortunately, many doctors assume that women don’t experience angina and will write off their symptoms to other problems. 

Women who have heart attacks are also likely to experience different symptoms. In many cases, women feel fatigue, indigestion, vomiting, nausea, shortness of breath, yet no pain in their chest at all. Of course, these symptoms can be attributed to many other ailments that don’t include the heart or a heart attack and many women go undiagnosed. It is likely that women will experience a silent heart attack and only later on when other symptoms occur is it obvious that they had a heart attack. 

The lack of care women with angina receive is shocking especially when it is taken into consideration that more women experience angina than men. Generally, their coronary arteries look “normal” but they still cause the angina. 

Another problem for women with angina is that they minimize their symptoms. Women generally complain less, which makes doctors think they are overall better because they aren’t complaining. It is important for women to seek help when they are feeling any of the symptoms mentioned above and to explain to the doctor in depth their symptoms, they way they are feeling, and the like. 

Women who might have angina should go to the emergency room or to their doctor if they have palpitations and feel dizzy, pain, or squeezing pressure in their jaw, shoulders, chest, arms, or back, that lasts up to 5 minutes or more. Any shortness of breath episode that lasts more than 5 minutes. These are all reasons to go to the doctor immediately. 

If you aren’t sure and you believe you may be having a heart attack, which includes symptoms of shortness of breath, severe indigestion or nausea, squeezing or pressure in the chest or back, extreme fatigue, sweating, or a feeling a panic.