Heart attack? It might feel different if you’re a woman

February 13, 2017

Providence Health Team

We’ve all the seen a man in a movie suddenly clutch his chest and fall down. But heart attack happens to women too, and it doesn’t always look like that.

Lesser-known symptoms can signal heart attack in either gender, but, in women symptoms other than chest pain are even more common.

This “Go Red for Women” campaign video, starring Elizabeth Banks as the overworked mom, offers a funny take on a woman failing to recognize a heart attack.

As shown in this video, rather than crushing chest pain, symptoms can be nausea, sweating, jaw tightness, dizziness, sudden exhaustion, breathlessness and shoulder, back or neck pain.

Here’s a chart to help you recognize a heart attack while you can still do something about it.

Infographic; Women often have different heart attack symptoms than men - symptoms include nausea, sweating, jaw tightness, dizziness, sudden exhaustion, breathlessness and shoulder, back or neck pain.

Not sure whether to drive to the hospital or call an ambulance? Calling 911 is by far the best option, since you can start being treated as soon as they reach you.