Offering a distinct focus on women's unique heart health needs
Women’s hearts are truly unique - from the size of their cardiac arteries, to the way blockages develop in those critical vessels. Even symptoms of a heart attack can be different for women, often masquerading as simple nausea or fatigue. That’s why Erlanger has a multidisciplinary team with a distinct focus on a woman’s heart-health needs. We provide specialized services in identifying and treating female-pattern heart disease, offering the latest diagnostic tools, and advancing specialized care for women. Our services include:
- Diagnosis and treatment of female-pattern heart disease
- Reducing the odds of heart disease through prevention, state-of-art screening and testing
- Helping patients manage the unique risk factors for women
There is no way to predict how a heart attack will present itself. And, as with men, the most common heart attack symptom women experience is chest pain or discomfort. However, women may experience unique symptoms such as:
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort
- Breaking out in a cold sweat
- Nausea or light-headedness
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
If you ever have any of these signs (particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting or back or jaw pain) and believe you might be having a heart attack, don't wait. Call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.