Did you know that February is American Heart Month? A whole month, dedicated to what is arguably the most important organ in your body. Perched here in the middle-aged cheap seats, I recently became acutely aware of the warning signs that every woman should know regarding her heart and heart health.
Monday evening, after a rather grueling weight training class, I began to feel an uncomfortable pulling kind of pressure under my left ribs. First thought: – I’ve pulled a chest muscle.
Tuesday, day two, I was still experiencing an uncomfortable kind of tug on my left side. I also seemed a bit more tired than usual. But, I chalked it up to over-doing it in the gym and powered through the day.
Wednesday, day three, I began to suspect that something was not quite right. To go along with the uncomfortable sensation up under my left ribs, I also seemed to have terrible indigestion – with pressure in my chest. This continued most of the day. When I Googled “Women and Heart Attacks” this is what I discovered:
Women don’t always get the same classic heart attack symptoms as men, such as crushing chest pain that radiates down one arm. Those heart attack symptoms can certainly happen to women, but many experience vague or even “silent” symptoms that they may miss:
- Chest pain or discomfort. Chest pain is the most common heart attack symptom, but some women may experience it differently than men. It may feel like a squeezing or fullness, and the pain can be anywhere in the chest, not just on the left side.
- Pain in your arm(s), back, neck, or jaw. This type of pain is more common in women than in men. It may confuse women who expect their pain to be focused on their chest and left arm, not their back or jaw.
- Stomach pain. Sometimes people mistake stomach pain that signals a heart attack with heartburn, the flu, or a stomach ulcer.
- Shortness of breath, nausea, or lightheadedness. If you’re having trouble breathing for no apparent reason, you could be having a heart attack, especially if you’re also having one or more other symptoms.
- Sweating. Breaking out in a nervous, cold sweat is common among women who are having a heart attack. It will feel more like stress-related sweating than perspiration from exercising or spending time outside in the heat.
- Fatigue. Some women who have heart attacks feel extremely tired, even if they’ve been sitting still for a while or haven’t moved much.
And here was the kicker:
If you have chest discomfort, especially if you also have one or more of the other signs, call 911 immediately.
Well, I was experiencing #1, #3 and #6 – ding, ding, ding – DANGER!!
By Wednesday evening, the pressure in my chest was becoming more intense and by 8:30 pm I calmly told my husband, “I think we need to go to the emergency room.” How did he know I was serious? Modern Family was about to start – and I never miss an episode of Modern Family.
Note this mistake/important lesson: we should have called 911. Chest pains of any kind should be taken seriously and driving yourself, or having a friend or family member drive you, to the emergency room is unwise. We were not impeded by traffic or any other mishap – but we were lucky. Do not rely on luck.
Upon arriving at the emergency room, I encountered a common misconception about the symptoms of a heart attack: I was not male; I was not an over-fifty male; I was not an over-fifty male clutching my chest and yelling “I coming to join you Elizabeth!” (Props to anyone who gets that Sanford and Son reference…)
After I calmly completed the initial admissions paperwork and returned it to the “could-not-be-more-bored-with-my-job” receptionist, he mumbled for me to have a seat and I would be called soon. Eyebrows raised, I stared back at him and replied;
“Um, I’m having chest pains.”
He blinked a few times, seemingly trying to process what I had just said. He looked down at the paperwork, then back at me with an expression that conveyed – Well, you don’t LOOK like you’re having a heart attack. Then he mumbled, “OK, just a minute.”
Once we got past Mister “I Couldn’t Give a Damn” and through the magic retracting doors, attention was swift and immediate.
“Are you experiencing pain or pressure in your chest?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have a history of heart problems?”
“No.”
“Is there a history of heart disease in your family?”
“Yes.”
“What is your age?”
“Forty-nine.”
“Have you ever experienced these symptoms before?”
“No.”
I was hooked up to monitors, blood was drawn, blood pressure was taken…. And then we waited. I realized that waiting was good. If I was in the middle of a heart attack there would have been a lot more action. I also had a chest x-ray, to check for a blood clot. As we were walking back to the x-ray area, the technician, his head buried in my paperwork, asked if I could be pregnant. I stared back with a crooked grin and he looked up, smiled back and said;
“Sorry, I have to ask.”
Dude, did you have to apologize?!
Three hours later we were relieved to be told that there were no indications that I was having or had experienced a heart attack. More likely, it was acute indigestion coupled with a pulled chest muscle. EVERYONE – nurses, technicians, and doctors – commented that we had absolutely done the right thing by coming to the emergency room.
“AT YOUR AGE, better to be safe than sorry.” At my age… sigh.
I do have a follow-up appointment scheduled with a cardiologist, just to be safe. Will probably entail a stress test – not a bad idea; better to be safe than sorry indeed.
What about you, gal pals? Any special advice for American Heart Month? Any particular pearls of wisdom for those of us sitting in the middle-aged cheap seats?
Cheers,
Kimba
Web Watcher says
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current health isues says
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Tonya Sheridan says
February 22, 2013 at 7:35 pmThank you for sharing this. The symptoms are not the same as men and can also vary from woman to woman. I am so glad that you are ok and it was very wise of you to get checked.
Michele Lewis says
February 22, 2013 at 12:06 pmWow! As I was reading I remembered a couple of things that might be important for people to realize, as well.
A few years ago I reconnected with a high school friend that told us that a guy I had liked died of a heart attack at the age of 29. Then just last week on facebook a friend posted a pic of a 33 year old lady who had just died of a heart attack.
It is good that you are helping us know what us gals need to be aware of. It is also important to know that heart attacks are hitting younger people more and more these days.
Super glad to know your's wasn't heart attack! I had an anxiety attack back when I was 25 or so that had me freaked because of chest pain. I researched back then and was surprised to learn us gals have different symptoms.
Kim D says
February 23, 2013 at 1:02 pmMichele, you are so right: though most people become susceptible to heart disease post age 50, younger folks can be at risk too! Thanks for stopping by and sharing.
Terry Hanley says
February 22, 2013 at 10:17 amMadame et monsieur
Damen und herren
Ladies & gentlemen……….HEED THIS WARNING:
Your body is much wiser than you are. When it speaks: LISTEN ! Get regular checkups & listen to your Dr.
Some people inherit great wealth from their relatives. Me, I got the gift of heart disease, but like most men, avoided the Dr. like the plague: I felt fine & didn't feel the need to know otherwise.
On Dec 30th 2009 I died……but I'm feeling much better now 🙂
While playing racquetball with friends I hadn't seen since high school, I dropped dead of a massive heart attack. "The Widow Maker" came knocking & but for the grace of God & 3 competent angels, I'm here typing this. I felt fine up to that point, never had any of the symptoms. Imagine my surprise when the Dr. said, Dude….your arteries look like sausages !"
Regular checkups probably would've shown my elevated cholesterol levels….not to mention the triple shot of in your face clues that went completely ignored: grandmother died of heart disease….her son (my uncle) of a massive heart attack, & her daughter (my mother) had a heart attack. All had contributing factors like smoking, but signs were lurking…none smacked me in the face !
Anyway, SO GLAD you are well Kim & I apologize for the long winded post, but yeah, at OUR age, we need to pay attention to these things, no matter how embarrassing or uncomfortable the precautionary measures may seem !
Kim D says
February 23, 2013 at 12:48 pmTerry, you are the walking miracle of TLHS. So glad you are with us and THANK YOU for sharing your experience here.
Lori Rinehart says
February 22, 2013 at 10:04 amI'm glad, dear friend, that you are ok, that you went to the ER and that you are telling folks about this! Love you. Lori
Kim D says
February 23, 2013 at 11:08 amMissing you like crazy my friend and feeling a deep need to connect in person. Hope to talk soon about a get together!!
Nathalie Villeneuve says
February 22, 2013 at 9:50 amI think it's so smart to listen to our bodies. The whispers are there…all the time. We have to pay attention to the whispers…before they become screams.
I am so glad you did just that Kimba…you must have bee SO relieved! Thank you for sharing this experience with us.
Nathalie
Kim D says
February 23, 2013 at 11:03 amThanks for stopping by Nathalie – so many of TWOF have been writing this week about listening to our bodies and our souls; interesting how we all seem to be receiving messages from the universe!
Suzanne Michelle says
February 22, 2013 at 9:17 amThank you! Awareness is key. I am happy for you that everything turned out ok for you. In general, women are pretty tough when it comes to pain, so I can see why you didn't think it was a big deal at first. Thanks for the info, Kim.
Kim D says
February 23, 2013 at 10:56 amSuzanne, women ARE tough! The life lesson for me is to not ignore your body when it is talking to you.
Emma says
February 22, 2013 at 9:03 amGlad you're ok. I think we all sometimes need to take a step back and be kind to ourselves I know of people who have suffered heart attacks and strokes in their 20s and 30s, we're not invincible!
Kim D says
February 22, 2013 at 9:13 amEmma, quite a bit of research also suggests that women tend to ignore symptoms more often than men. We're definitely not invincible; I think we need to be willing to stop and pay attention to our bodies when we need to.
Christina says
February 22, 2013 at 8:58 amHi KIm,
That sounds so scary–glad it wasn't a heart attack! But thank you for bringing light to this important issue. More and more, people are getting the word out that even skinny girls are at risk for heart disease–something we don't normally think about! (as you can have cholesterol issues and stress related damage without being overweight or a man) It's important to keep this in the public consciousness!
~Christina
Kim D says
February 22, 2013 at 9:11 amYou're absolutely right Christina : what you look like on the outside is not always a go indicator of what is going on inside your body.
Vicki says
February 22, 2013 at 8:48 amGood for you! Pushing awareness is important. We all tend to take for granted that we will know for certain when we are in serious trouble..not! I'm glad to know that my daughter is taking good care of herself, luvU
Kim D says
February 22, 2013 at 9:05 amThanks Mom. I have a great role model in you – healthiest G-ma out there!