Female Heart Attacks

[FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I]

FEMALE HEART ATTACKS

I was aware that female heart attacks are different, but this is the best description I've ever read. Women and heart attacks (Myocardial infarction) Did you know that women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men have when experiencing a heart attack...you know, the

Sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest & dropping to the floor that we see in the movies.

Here is the story of one woman's experience with a heart attack.

"I had a completely unexpected heart attack at about 10 :30 PM with NO prior exertion, NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might've brought it on. I was sitting all snugly & warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent me, and actually thinking,"A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up.

A moment later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you've been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that hurried bite seems to feel like you've swallowed a golf ball going down the esophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you shouldn't have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more thoroughly and this time drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to the stomach. This was my initial sensation---the only trouble was that I hadn't taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m.

After that had seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE (hind-sight, it was probably my aorta spasming), gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when administering CPR). This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws.

"AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening--we all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI happening, haven't we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, "Dear God, I think I'm having a heart attack !" I lowered the foot rest, dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself "If this is

A heart attack, I shouldn't be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else.......but, on the other hand, if I don't, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer I may not be able to get up in moment."

"I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room and dialed the Paramedics... I told her I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I didn't feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She said she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and if so, to unbolt the door and then lie down on the floor where they could see me when they came in.

"I then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness, as I don't remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me onto a gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they made to St. Jude ER on the way, but I did briefly awaken when we arrived and saw that the Cardiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap, helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was bending over me asking questions (probably something like "Have you taken any medications?") but I couldn't make my mind interpret what he was saying, or form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up until the Cardiologist and partner had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up my femoral artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed 2 side by side stents to hold open my right coronary artery.

"I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have taken at least 20-30 minutes before calling the Paramedics, but actually it took perhaps 4-5 minutes before the call, and both the fire station and St. Jude are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was already to go to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which had stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing the stents.

"Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? Because I want all of you who

are so important in my life to know what I learned first hand."

1. Be aware that something very different is happening in your body not the usual men's symptoms but inexplicable things happening (until my sternum and jaws got into the act). It is said that many more women than men die of their first (and last) MI because they didn't know they were having one and commonly mistake it as indigestion, take some Maalox or other anti-heartburn preparation and go to bed, hoping they'll feel better in the morning when they wake up....which doesn't happen. My female friends, your symptoms might not be exactly like mine, so I advise you to call the Paramedics if ANYTHING is unpleasantly happening that you've not felt before. It is better to have a "false alarm" visitation than to risk your life guessing what it might be!

2. Note that I said "Call the Paramedics." Ladies, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE! Do NOT try to drive yourself to the ER--you're a hazard to others on the road and so is your panicked husband who will be speeding and looking anxiously at what's happening with you instead of the road.Do NOT call your doctor--he doesn't know where you live and if it's at night you won't reach him anyway, and if it's daytime, his assistants (or answering service) will tell you to call the Paramedics. He doesn't carry the equipment in his car that you need to be saved! The Paramedics do, principally OXYGEN that you need ASAP. Your Dr. will be notified later.

3. Don't assume it couldn't be a heart attack because you have a normal cholesterol count. Research has discovered that a cholesterol elevated reading is rarely the cause of an MI (unless it's unbelievably high and/or accompanied by high blood pressure). MIs are usually caused by long-term stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps all sorts of deadly hormones into your system to sludge things up in there. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive. A cardiologist says if everyone who gets this mail sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life.

[Agnus]

Ok now you are really scaring me. I had what I thoght was an MI at work. Turns out it was just really bad GRD. (did a complete work up including Persanthine myoview)

I live alone and by necessity my door is alway locked. I do not have a phone in every room and may be upstairs. (no phone in bedroom)

I do from time to time now (since my episode ) have GRD and am sometimes awakened by it.

I also have left shoulder pain or ache or discomfort and even numbness when my neck needs adjusting (an old injury)

And you are telling me to call no matter what if I am experiencing any symptoms.

That is it I am just going to die.

[SDS_RN, RN]

Thank for the info/story fran, I sent it on to all the women in my address book.

[cdchick]

Thank you for sharing! I am glad you are okay! I will be sending this to every female that I know. I am currently working in the cath lab. TIME IS MUSCLE!

Last weekend on call, we had several 40 year olds who had heart attacks. Forty is not old! A heart attack can happen at any age. We take the door to balloon time very seriously. The sooner we can open the blockage, the less damage. It is important to get it checked out as soon as something doesn't feel right.

[FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I]

Ok now you are really scaring me. I had what I thoght was an MI at work. Turns out it was just really bad GRD. (did a complete work up including Persanthine myoview)

I live alone and by necessity my door is alway locked. I do not have a phone in every room and may be upstairs. (no phone in bedroom)

I do from time to time now (since my episode ) have GRD and am sometimes awakened by it.

I also have left shoulder pain or ache or discomfort and even numbness when my neck needs adjusting (an old injury)

And you are telling me to call no matter what if I am experiencing any symptoms.

That is it I am just going to die.

Not necessarily, hon. This is what one nurse experienced. I think a key to all of this is that we are all made different. All like snowflakes, in that we are all humans like snowflakes are snowflakes, yet all different in our genetic makeup. I hope this helps to alieve your fright.

I too have been awakened with severe pain mid-sternum with pain going down both arms, and was concerned about it at first but have had so many life threatening incidents, it no longer frightens me. I even had a rapid pulserate, but I just lay there, and asked for an ativan. I went to sleep soon after that, and I'm still here.

[Simplepleasures]

Ive heard of women MI patients who present only with ear pain!

[FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I]

Now that one is unusual. I knew an elderly woman who kept complaining about her left arm hurting her. That went on for about 3 weeks. She thought it was DDD or bursitis. She died soon after that in the hospital from an MI

[FranEMTnurse, CNA, LPN, EMT-I]

Thank you for sharing! I am glad you are okay! I will be sending this to every female that I know. I am currently working in the cath lab. TIME IS MUSCLE!

Last weekend on call, we had several 40 year olds who had heart attacks. Forty is not old! A heart attack can happen at any age. We take the door to balloon time very seriously. The sooner we can open the blockage, the less damage. It is important to get it checked out as soon as something doesn't feel right.

You are so right. My daughter's best friend died from a sudden death heart attack at age 22. That was a terrible loss to all of us.

[loricatus]

Thank you Fran for this.

I can tell all from personal experience that what this woman's account of is true & hits home. My mother complained of the exact same inital symptoms to her PCP, who told her not to worry because she had GERD (this was a phone call & not even an office visit). Later in the day, she told my sister to take her to the local ER. When she reached to doorway she turned blue, stopped breathing & went down. I buried her 3 days later. I really miss her .

[angelz_kissus]

thank you for the wake up call. This is something I have been wondering about. I have realized it's time to go to the Dr and get a physical and see what is going on.

[Nicky30, BSN, RN]

My mum had a silent MI last year. Sure she had some discomfort but she just brushed it off (as so many busy women do). I am so luck to still have her here. Mum was 63 at the time.

This year I had a lady in her 80's very healthy and fit. Silent MI too. Her only symptom was sweating.

Makes you think doesn't it?

Nic.

[gypsyatheart]

Thank you Fran, for posting this! It is so true....my sister passed away 4 yrs ago from sudden cardiac arrest...no history, nothing. She did exactly what the post said....went to bed, silent MI, husband found her when it was too late. I feel terrible knowing that she went through this.... Your post will help make a difference....thank you!