Advertisement
  • Newsletters
  • Subscribe
Health

Five most common signs of a heart attack for women

How to identify a heart attack and what to do if you, or someone around you, is having one
By Adriana Rolston
heart health, heart attack, CPR, symptoms Getty Images

5 most common signs of a heart attack for women:

1. Shortness of breath.
2. Slow, steady chest pressure.
3. Sudden sweating or clamminess.
4. Numbness, pain or burning in your shoulders, arms, neck or jaw.
5. Indigestion, abdominal pain or heartburn accompanied by nausea.

If you think you’re having a heart attack

At home: Stop what you’re doing. Call 911. Unlock the door. Loosen clothing and sit in a comfortable position. Do not drive yourself to a hospital. Chew a regular Aspirin or two baby Aspirins.

At work: Alert a co-worker. Call 911 and security, who will notify your building’s medical-response team. They can provide a defibrillator. To save time, a co-worker can also meet paramedics at the entrance of the building and guide them to you.

In a public place:
Call 911. If possible, tell someone to alert security and ask for a defibrillator. On a subway or train, press the emergency strip. If you’re alone in a public space, don’t hang up on the 911 operator unless you’re told to. Tell the operator of any changes in how you feel, so paramedics are best prepared to help you.

When driving:
Pull over and put on your four-way flashers. Call 911. Identify your location. If you’re on the highway, try to remember the last exit you saw. Describe your car. Keep your cell on in case paramedics can’t find you and need to call you back.

How to help someone
If a person collapses and seems unresponsive:

• Immediately call 911. Try to pay attention to the time when the person collapsed, to tell EMS.
• Loosen their clothing and make sure they’re lying down or seated in a comfortable position.
• If they don’t appear to have a pulse, begin chest compressions; continue even if the person appears not to be breathing.
• Stay with the person and ask a bystander to see if there’s a defibrillator around.
• If you’re in a building, call security and let them know exactly where you are.
• Stay with the person until EMS arrives, and make sure someone is sent to meet EMS and guide them to the location of the person.

The value of CPR
Get familiar with this life-saving technique. Find out more from the Heart & Stroke Foundation, St. John Ambulance and Red Cross.

Check out Chatelaine's heart health feature story of two heart attack survivors (one had a heart attack without realizing it) to get even more information.

Chatelaine is a proud sponsor of the Heart & Stroke Foundation’s Heart Truth campaign. For more info, visit thehearttruth.ca.

The very best of Chatelaine straight to your inbox.

By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. You may unsubscribe at any time.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Copy link
The cover of Chatelaine magazine's spring 2025 issue, reading "weekend prep made easy"; "five delicious weeknight meals", "plus, why you'll never regret buying an air fryer"; "save money, stay stylish how to build a capsule wardrobe" and "home organization special" along with photos of burritos, chicken and rice and white bean soup, quick paella in a dutch oven, almost-instant Thai chicken curry and chicken broccoli casserole in an enamelled cast-iron skillet

Subscribe to Chatelaine!

Want to streamline your life? In our Spring 2025 issue, we’ll show you how—whether it’s paring down your wardrobe, decluttering your messiest spaces or spending way less time cooking thanks to an easy, mostly make-ahead meal plan for busy weeknights. Plus, our first annual Pantry Awards.