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Heart disease doesn’t always cause obvious symptoms, especially in its earlier stages. For women, some of the signs can be surprisingly easy to overlook or misattribute.
Our team of primary care providers at Maniya Health helps women throughout Hamilton, Robbinsville, and Hopewell, New Jersey, understand their cardiovascular risk and recognize changes that deserve a closer look.
Below, we share three often-overlooked symptoms that could signal a problem with your heart.
1. You're unusually tired
Everyone gets tired, especially after a poor night’s sleep or a particularly busy day, but new, unexplained, or overwhelming fatigue deserves your attention ASAP.
When your heart isn’t pumping blood as effectively as it should, your muscles and organs may not receive the oxygen-rich blood they need. Fatigue can occur with conditions such as heart failure, and some women also experience unusual tiredness before or during a heart attack. This is especially common in silent heart attacks.
Pay particular attention if your energy level suddenly changes without an obvious explanation. Fatigue has many possible causes, including anemia, thyroid disorders, sleep problems, and stress, so feeling tired doesn’t necessarily mean you have heart disease.
2. You get short of breath doing things that used to feel easy
Maybe you used to climb a flight of stairs without thinking twice, but lately you need to stop halfway up to catch your breath. Shortness of breath can be a cardiovascular warning sign, particularly when it’s new, getting worse, or occurring with activities you previously tolerated comfortably.
Heart conditions can interfere with your heart’s ability to pump blood efficiently. In heart failure, for example, fluid can accumulate in or around your lungs, making breathing more difficult.
You may notice shortness of breath during activity, when lying flat, or even at rest.
Again, your heart isn’t the only possible explanation. Asthma, respiratory infections, anemia, anxiety, and other conditions can also make you short of breath. The important thing is not to automatically dismiss a noticeable change in your breathing.
Our team can check your vitals here at our urgent care and run tests (such as a flu test) to help confirm or rule out respiratory infections or asthma.
3. You have nausea, indigestion, or upper-body discomfort
This is one of the easiest symptoms to mistake for something else. Heart-related discomfort isn’t always confined to the center of your chest.
Some women experience pain, pressure, or discomfort in the upper back, shoulders, neck, jaw, or upper abdomen. You may also experience nausea, vomiting, or what feels like indigestion.
Because these symptoms overlap with everything from acid reflux to muscle strain, it can be tempting to wait and see whether they pass, but unexplained upper-body discomfort, especially when accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, lightheadedness, or unusual fatigue, shouldn't be ignored.
Women can have chest pain, too
It’s important not to take the idea of “different symptoms in women” too far. Chest pain or discomfort is still a common heart attack symptom in women. You may experience pressure, squeezing, fullness, tightness, or pain in the center or left side of your chest.
The difference is that women may also experience other symptoms that don’t immediately make them think “heart attack.”
If you experience new or severe chest discomfort, particularly accompanied by shortness of breath, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, or pain radiating to your arm, jaw, back, or shoulder, seek emergency medical care immediately.
Don’t wait for symptoms before you think about your heart
The symptoms you experience are only one piece of the heart-health puzzle. Heart disease can develop gradually, which makes preventive primary care especially important.
At Maniya Health, we can assess cardiovascular risk factors such as:
- Blood pressure
- Cholesterol
- Blood sugar
- Weight
- Smoking history
- Physical activity
- Family history of cardiovascular disease
Your risk can also change as you move through different stages of life. Pregnancy complications, menopause, and certain health conditions may influence a woman's cardiovascular risk and are important parts of your health history.
Knowing your lab numbers (e.g., cholesterol, blood sugar, etc.) also gives you an opportunity to make changes before heart disease causes noticeable symptoms. For example, if you have elevated blood sugar, you can work on lowering your numbers with diet and exercise before you develop full-blown diabetes, which is a risk factor for heart disease.
Listen when your body feels different
If you’re concerned about changes in how you feel, call our Hamilton, Robbinsville, or Hopewell, New Jersey, office to schedule an appointment. Our team can evaluate your symptoms, review your cardiovascular risk factors, and determine whether you need additional testing or specialized cardiac care. You can also use the Book Appointment button to get started.
Note: If you suspect you’re having a heart attack, always err on the side of caution and call 911 or head to the emergency room.