Woman Mistook Heart Attack for Bad Dinner; Subtle Symptoms Often Ignored by Women

Chantrise Holliman, a mother and heart health educator, experienced nausea, vomiting, and mild chest pressure, initially attributing her symptoms to a previous night's dinner. Her story highlights a critical misunderstanding of heart attack symptoms, particularly among women.

Holliman's experience underscores that stomach problems can indeed signal a heart attack. While chest pain remains the most common warning sign, nausea is also frequent during cardiac events, especially in women, according to Dr. Sean Heffron, a cardiologist at NYU Langone Health. He explains that the specific blood vessel affected influences symptom presentation, with nausea and vomiting being more common in women.

Heart attacks in women can manifest differently than in men, leading to delayed diagnosis by both patients and sometimes medical professionals. Other warning signs for women include jaw pain, neck pain, a dull chest discomfort, upper abdominal pain, back pain, and excessive fatigue. Dr. Tara Narula, a cardiologist, emphasizes the importance of hearing such stories, as women often expect dramatic, movie-like symptoms rather than the subtler signs that can occur.

Recognizing these signs is crucial, as cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death for women. In Croatia, cardiovascular diseases caused 22,303 deaths in 2022, with women accounting for 43.8 percent. Initiatives like "Dana crvenih haljina" (Red Dress Day) aim to increase awareness of these specific risks. Fortunately, nausea is seldom the only symptom; Holliman also felt chest pressure. While not every instance of nausea is a heart attack, additional symptoms like chest pain, sweating, palpitations, or dizziness should prompt serious concern, especially for individuals with risk factors like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or diabetes.

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Srčani udari kod žena mogu izgledati znatno drugačije nego kod muškaraca, što znači da ih i same pacijentice, ali ponekad i liječnici, znaju zanemariti.