What does Heart Failure Feel Like in Women?
Yes, the Symptoms are Different from a Man's Symptoms
The symptoms of heart failure are different for women than they are for men. Where men feel chest pain and fatigue, women may experience a wider range of symptoms. If they have had a heart attack already, they may be taking medications to help their hearts beat more efficiently.
Is heart failure dangerous? It can be, yes. But, as long as you pay attention to your doctor, find out how to treat your symptoms and take your medications as ordered, you shouldn’t have too many problems. Can heart failure be deadly? If it is allowed to progress too far, this is likely.
We can Feel Fatigued and Weak
This is a natural result of heart failure. If our heart isn’t able to get blood out to the rest of our body, we feel weak because oxygen can’t get to where it needs to go. Even worse, you don’t feel this just when you get home from work or running errands. You feel it all the time.
Are you developing problems with your breathing? Does it get worse when you lie down? Put this down to heart failure. You might also feel like you can’t catch your breath while you are doing something.
Look at your Tummy, Legs, Ankles, and Feet
Do they look puffy? This is a definite sign of heart failure. This is “edema” (e-DEEM-a) or fluid retention. If you are developing pulmonary edema (fluid in your lungs), your cardiologist may diagnose you with congestive heart failure.
New medical research says that people with heart failure may cough much more often — in fact, pretty persistently. You may bring up phlegm which has either a pink or red tinge in it. If so, you are collecting fluid in your lungs. Doctors call this cough the “cardiac cough.”
We Women may also Feel Uncomfortable — or Pain
This might be chest pain. Or we can feel that pain in our abdomen (tummy), upper back, neck, jaw, or our shoulder. This pain or discomfort is dull — and it doesn’t stop. If you are experiencing this, call your doctor and get into their office, even if they have to squeeze you in.
We may also feel nauseated (like we have to vomit) or we do throw up. Any time that we vomit and we can’t connect it to an illness, like a stomach bug, this is a sign of heart failure. Let your doctor know.
Heart Blockage Symptoms
Yes, ma’am, we can get heart blockages! If you feel these symptoms, let your doctor know right away.
Perspiring More Than Usual
This is more than perspiring when you are doing housework. Here, you are sweating a lot. It hits you quickly, like a cold sweat.
Unexplained Fear
Here, we may feel anxiety or a fear that we can’t pin down to anything — like we sense something bad. Again, we can’t shrug this off to anything around us.
Feeling Lightheaded
Here, we feel dizzy, or as though we are about to faint. This could be a problem with the blood supply to your heart. If this happens and you don’t know why it’s happening, call your doctor and ask them what to do.
This set of symptoms is hard to connect to a heart problem (unexplainable fear?). Also, we might feel these symptoms either while we are relaxing or busy with a physical activity.
What is the Average Age of a Heart Attack in Women?
I was 65 when I had my heart attack. This heart issue is more common in older adults — but it can happen at almost any age. As with other heart issues, a heart attack can happen to a woman when she is about 70 years old.
If you suffer from a coronary artery dissection (I wrote about this earlier this week), you may be about 55, more or less. You may feel some of the same symptoms I outlined above. And you might feel these symptoms for a few weeks before the CAD happens to you. This type of heart attack causes about half of the heart attacks that younger women experience.
This is why it’s so important to get a diagnosis of congestive heart failure. It’s also vitally important for you to understand what your symptoms are and what they mean to your cardiac health. Knowing this makes it easier for you to get fast intervention from medical professionals; it also improves the chances of good results from the correct treatment.
Nobody else except your doctor is going to keep an eye on your health. (While you would hope for family to help you, they may not realize what you are experiencing.)
So it’s vital to team up with your doctor so you can develop the best plan for treating your heart failure. Notice unusual symptoms and go to the doctor’s office so you can get medical assistance when you need it.
While you’re watching your heart health, it’s also important to eat a heart-healthy diet, exercise, quit smoking, and reduce your drinking.