Experts have shared the heart attack warning signs that many people brush off as anxiety or a 'funny turn'.
According to the NHS, while the most common symptom in both men and women is chest pain, women are more likely to have other symptoms such as shortness of breath, feeling or being sick and back or jaw pain. The condition kills around 77 British women every day, but many have their symptoms dismissed.
Experts have warned of a lesser-known sign that could occur weeks or even months before. Most people experience a painful chest, but actually, heartburn, anxiety and funny turns are also very common.
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A study, published in the journal Circulation, found that indigestion was a common symptom experienced by women in the month leading up to their cardiac event, the Mirror reports. However, indigestion was found to not be a common symptom during the heart attack itself.
Researchers said typical cardiac symptoms is based primarily on men, leading to women delaying the need to seek treatment. They added that in earlier research, they found that between 85 to 90% of women reported several different symptoms in the period leading up to a heart attack.
The most common symptoms women identified in the month before the heart attack include:
- Unusual fatigue (71 per cent)
- Sleep disturbance (48 per cent)
- Shortness of breath (42 per cent)
- Indigestion (39 per cent)
- Anxiety (36 per cent)
During a heart attack women experienced:
Shortness of breath (58 per cent)
Weakness (55 per cent)
Unusual fatigue (43 per cent)
Cold sweat (39 per cent)
Dizziness (39 per cent)
The British Heart Foundation suggests females are 50% more likely to be wrongly diagnosed when it comes to coronary problems. To help minimise the risks, Dr Nancy K. Sweitzer shared some top tips as she said: "It can be overwhelming if people feel they need to make all of these changes at once. Everyone could look at where they can make the biggest impact on their risk reduction and start with one small change."
According to Dr Sweitzer, unhealthy habits to stop include:
Quit smoking for a 36% risk reduction
Eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, reduced-fat dairy, whole grains and fish for a 18% reduction
12% reduction for maintaining a waistline of 37 inches or less for men or less than 35 inches for women
11% reduction for drinking fewer than two alcoholic drinks per day
3% reduction for moderate daily and weekly exercise routines
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