Women are less likely to seek medical attention for heart-related symptoms than men so it is critical to be able to recognise when something is amiss
The statistics on women’s heart health make for shocking reading.
Last year, 4,656 women died from cardiovascular disease – this accounts for over a quarter of all female deaths and is almost six times higher than the number of women who died from breast cancer in the same timeframe.
A ‘male disease’
Wrongly seen as a ‘male disease’, experts say that heart disease in women has been grossly under-researched, under-diagnosed and under-treated. However, research carried out by Blackrock Health in 2023 found that women are almost half as likely to seek medical attention for heart-related symptoms than men. In fact, only 16% of women claimed that they went to a hospital A&E to address heart related symptoms, versus 31% of men.
Worryingly, 28% of women who have been peri-menopausal or menopausal said that they felt their heart health had declined following the menopause.
Heart conditions
Chest pain, arrhythmia and heart failure are the main reasons that people present for heart health investigations but too often, they are dismissed or ignored. It’s vital to know the symptoms so you can catch these conditions early and do something about them.
Chest pain
What is chest pain?
Chest pain can appear in many forms including a sharp stab, dull ache, crushing or burning pain. Sometimes, the pain travels up the neck into the jaw and down into the back or down one or both arms. Chest pain can feel different depending on what’s triggering the symptom but as it is a key indicator of a heart issue, medical attention should be sought if you experience it.
What are the symptoms of chest pain?
Heart-related chest pain can vary significantly in terms of severity, from quite subtle or more of a mild discomfort through to crushing or searing pain. If you are experiencing severe chest pain, you should call 999 immediately.
The range of chest pain that is associated with a heart problem may include:
- Pressure, fullness, burning or tightness in the chest
- Crushing or searing pain that spreads to the back, neck, jaw, shoulders and one or both arms
- Pain that lasts more than a few minutes, gets worse with activity, ebbs and flows or varies in intensity.
- Shortness of breath
- Cold sweats
- Dizzy, lightheaded or weak
- Racing heartbeats
- Nausea or vomiting
- Indigestion
Chest paint that is less likely to be due to a heart problem, but which you should also seek medical attention for if the symptoms persist, include:
- Acid reflux – a sour taste or a sensation of food or acid re-entering the mouth
- Trouble swallowing
- Pain that changes when you change body position
- Pain that gets worse when you cough or breathe deeply
- Tenderness when you push on your chest
- Pain that continues for many hours
Arrhythmia
What is a heart arrhythmia?
A heart arrhythmia is an irregular heart rhythm. You may experience this as all of a sudden being aware of your heart beating in your chest – it could be fast, slow, or potential feeling as though your heart is skipping beats. This occurs when the electrical signals that tell the heart to beat don’t work properly.
Are there different types of arrhythmia?
In general, heart arrhythmias are grouped by the speed of the heart rate. Tachycardia is a fast heartbeat, where the heart rate is more than 100 beats per minute. Bradycardia is a slow heartbeat, where the heart rate is less than 60 beats per minute. If you are diagnosed with having either type of arrhythmia, your consultant will then work to determine the underlying disease that is causing the problem.
How will I know if I’m experiencing a heart arrhythmia?
A heart arrhythmia can feel like a fluttering in your chest or a racing heartbeat. There are times when it can be normal to have a difference in your heartbeat, for example when you are falling asleep your heartbeat can slow down while during this time and after exercising your heart may beat faster.
Specific symptoms of arrhythmia include:
- A fluttering, pounding or racing feeling in the chest
- A fast heartbeat
- A slow heartbeat
- Feeling your heart “skipping” beats
- Chest pain
- Shortness of breath
- Anxiety
- Feeling very tired
- Lightheaded or dizziness
- Sweating
- Fainting or almost fainting
Premature heartbeats are extra beats that occur one at a time or sometimes in patterns that alternate with a regular heartbeat. If you experience this, it can feel like your heart has skipped a beat. Normally, this is not indicative of a heart problem, but it can trigger a longer lasting arrhythmia. Some lifestyle factors such as caffeine or nicotine can cause premature heartbeats.
Heart failure
What is heart failure?
Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. When this happens blood often backs up and fluid can build up in the lungs, causing shortness of breath. Certain heart conditions gradually leave the heart too weak or stiff to pump blood properly which is referred to as narrowed arteries in the heart and high blood pressure. While heart failure can be life threatening, treatment may improve the symptoms and lifestyle changes can improve quality of life.
How will I know if I’m experiencing heart failure?
Symptoms of heart failure can develop slowly but they can also come on suddenly and include:
- Shortness of breath with activity of when lying down
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Swelling in the legs, ankles and feet
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
- Less able to exercise
- Wheezing
- A cough that doesn’t go away
- Swelling of the stomach area
- Very rapid weight gain from fluid build-up
- Nausea and lack of appetite
- Difficulty concentrating
- Chest pain if heart failure is caused by a heart attack.
- Requiring additional pillows when sleeping as you may be unable to breathe properly lying flat
- Waking in the middle of the night struggling for breath
Are there any risk factors that might increase my chance of experiencing heart failure?
There are many diseases and conditions that can increase the risk of experiencing heart failure, including:
- Coronary artery disease or narrowing of the arteries.
- A heart attack that occurs suddenly which can damage the heart muscle.
- Heart valve disease.
- High blood pressure which puts the heart under pressure to work harder.
- Irregular heartbeats which can weaken the heart muscle.
- Congenital heart disease where the person was born with problems that affect the structure or function of the heart.
- Diabetes increases the risk of high blood pressure and coronary artery disease.
- Sleep apnoea or the inability to breathe properly during sleep can increase the risk of irregular heartbeats which can weaken the heart.
- People living with obesity have a higher risk of developing heart failure.
- Some viral infections can weaken the heart.
- Some medicines can lead to heart failure which your doctor should advise you of.
Other lifestyle factors such as ageing alcohol use and smoking can also increase risk. If you think you are experiencing a heart attack or stroke, dial 999 immediately.
