A heart attack does not always mean crushing chest pain. A report by Bangla Tribune's lifestyle desk says that in women especially, other unusual changes in the body can point to a heart problem, and are often brushed aside as gas, tiredness or stress.

There may be pressure or heaviness in the middle of the chest, a squeezing feeling or mild discomfort that does not feel like severe pain. The discomfort can spread to one or both arms, and can be felt in the back, neck, jaw or stomach.

Sudden breathlessness without exertion can be a sign, sometimes without any chest pain. So can sudden nausea, vomiting, light-headedness, weakness and a cold sweat or feeling of cold, which many people mistake for acidity or ordinary weakness.

The report notes that these symptoms can have causes other than a heart attack. But when several appear together, especially if they start suddenly or get worse quickly, it is safest to seek emergency care without delay.

The warning signs published by the American Heart Association list the same symptoms: chest discomfort, pain in the arms, back, neck or jaw, shortness of breath, cold sweat, nausea and light-headedness, and the association says women are somewhat more likely than men to have breathlessness, nausea and back or jaw pain.

Photo: Michael Rosengarten / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Source: Bangla Tribune