Womens heart attacks are different

It is of fundamental importance that health personnel recognise that womens heart attacks are different to mens. About three years ago, I had a heart attack, triggered by a viral infection. My symptoms started the day before when I felt nauseous and exhausted. My chest felt tight and uncomfortable. The next day I felt an ache in my left arm. I went to the hospital and waited two hours to be triaged. When I finally saw a nurse she told me that it was an anxiety attack.

While I was talking to her a man came in suffering from chest tightness and was seen to immediately as a heart attack case.

In the meantime, my chest was becoming tighter and now I was suffering a burning sensation in my chest too.  I was becoming increasingly worried about my symptoms but when the doctor saw me he attributed my symptoms to gallbladder issues and sent me home with painkillers. The pain seemed to subside and come back in waves, but my arm felt worse  – so the next day I decided to go back ready to persist until I felt I was properly attended.

I did so, I carefully explained to anyone who would listen in the hospital that womens heart attacks are different! I demanded my blood work be checked properly and for heart attack and my results came back with markers for a heart attack. The doctors relented and began to treat me properly. It was a lesson in self-advocacy – but I feel so strongly when you are at your weakest, why should the people in charge of identifying illnesses need to be convinced you are ill?

The solution for me is two-fold: 1. Health personnel need more information about symptoms women face and the fact that womens heart attacks are different and 2. more research into women’s heart attack symptoms.

I am lucky to have survived, feel proud that I advocated for myself but ultimately disappointed in the care I received and the length I had to go to be taken seriously.

MW, United States

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