Understanding the workings of the heart is extremely important in regards to heart disease. Men and women often have the same signs of a heart attack.  However, on occasion, the symptoms can be different.

The most common signs of a heart attack in men include: pressure or fullness pain in the center of the chest that may spread to neck, shoulder or jaw; chest discomfort with fainting, sweating, lightheadedness, shortness of breath or nausea. Men have a greater risk of heart disease than pre-menopausal women and the risk of stroke doubles every decade after age 55.

Women can experience similar signs of a heart attack, such as pressure or squeezing pain in the chest and chest discomfort with lightheadedness, sweating or nausea.  However, women also may experience symptoms that do not occur in men, such as upper abdominal pressure or discomfort that may feel like indigestion and back pain. 

Many doctors normally check for chest pain as a symptom of a heart attack and only a small amount check for other types of symptoms that women may experience, resulting in missing heart attacks in women.

In order to catch a heart attack early, be sure to know and understand the early signs of a heart attack and consult a doctor if experiencing any of these symptoms.