Do women suffer the same symptoms as men during a heart attack?
Women can have the same symptoms as men during a heart attack, but may also suffer different symptoms. As a result, many women tend to be mistakenly referred to a gastroenterologist (stomach specialist) or misdiagnosed as suffering from anxiety or hysteria. In women suffering a heart attack, they may experience chest pain or pressure that is often described as a “burning” sensation, rather than a squeezing pain. Women may also feel upper abdominal fullness or pain, instead of pain in the central chest area. Sometimes, they may only feel pain in the arm, the stomach, the back or the jaw, but not in the chest. Or they may not experience any pain, but feel anxious or short of breath. All of these symptoms are cause for concern and medical attention should be sought immediately.
