Ok, not sure if this is a silly question, but I keep reading so much about how women have different symptoms of heart attacks from men, and quite often don't know they've had one until they finally get hauled into hospital and then told they've had half a dozen.

So, is there a way to know if that weird feeling was indigestion or gallstones, or a heart attack?

I'm getting paranoid, because I seem to be so much less fit and strong now than I was this time last year. I can't help wondering if there is something more going on than just getting older.

Oh, I'm 48, no history of heart disease or anything like that, but I can't help wondering....

There can be several different presentations, but far and away the most common symptom of a heart attack is chest pain. Usually central chest pain, and usually a heavy feeling.

But the most important thing to know is that if you, or anyone you know, ever have any chest pain, call an ambulance immediately. If it turns out to be indigestion, or a gall bladder problem, everyone will be happy. I have seen it said that if a certain percentage of "chest pains" who are taken to hospital are not cardiac in nature, then too many cardiac problems are being missed.

But if chest pain is due to a heart attack, the sooner you get to hospital, the sooner life saving treatment can be started. These days treatment can drastically reduce the damage done, so to put off doing anything because that pain in the centre of the chest doesn't seem all that bad, can cause a lot of harm.

Sorry to rant about this, but I have seen way too many people wind up with unnecessary damage that could have been avoided had they gone to hospital sooner.

Very occasionally people have a "silent" heart attack - that is they have no symptoms whatever, but that is very rare.

As for women having different symptoms from men, well, in over 30 years of critical care nursing, I have never seen a difference. Central chest pain is the most common symptom, for both males and females. The pain can radiate down the left arm, or sometimes both arms, and sometimes up into the neck. But again, from my experience, it is much the same for males and females.

And because I think it cannot be repeated often enough, if you or anyone you know has chest pain, call your emergency number immediately.

Thanks for the reply, but what I really wanted to know was if there was any way afterwards to tell if you'd had a heart attack?

As I tried to say, you would almost certainly have chest pain, so you would know at the time.

Silent infarcts do happen, although rarely, and are usually diagnosed by a later ECG. So if you are worrying that such a thing may have happened, a simple ECG by your doctor can set your mind at rest.

If you're really worried about your heart you might want to look into getting a heart scan.

http://heartscanblog.blogspot.com

I've decided I'm going to get one after I go menopausal.

That would concern me the most. Dr. Atkins said "getting older is natural getting tired is not."

I am stronger at 60 than I was a 45. I would expect diet is the culprit, it was for me. As far as your question, yes there is a test for that, a friend of mine had it done and it was negative -- not sure how far back the blood test will go though?

I had a complete physical about a year ago, including ECG, dexa bone scan, chest x-rays, smear test, blood, urine and stool test, and a poke and prod physical. The worst they found was flat feet.

Well, while a physical is good it isn't anything at all like a heart scan. A physical can't tell you anything about the coronary calcium (i.e. plaque) building up in your heart. And if you're concerned about having had a heart attack, then that's a good way to find out if there's a potential risk there.

I had a massive heart attack and CABG surgery back in April.

My symptoms were overwhelming fatigue, pain in upper jaw. Pain in wrists, upper shoulders and neck. I never had chest pain. This went on for months. Who would have thought it was my heart? But towards the end before I ended up in the hospital I would get short of breath just walking a few steps and night sweats.

You just have to be very aware that sometimes women's symptoms are different than mens and don't hesitate to go to the emergency room.

My 59-year-old husband had a major heart attack the Sunday before Thanksgiving and his symptoms were just like this (except for the wrist pain and night sweats). His shoulder pain and fatigue had been present for days, coming off and on for weeks. He never had ANY chest pain!! It was only when the pain started down his left arm that he mentioned it to me and I got his a$$ to the emergency room. They knew he had had a heart attack because of enzymes that are found via blood test. His cardiologist later told him that neck, jaw, and shoulder pain were very common. In fact, the stereotypical chest-grabbing-falling-on-the-ground attack like you see in the movies is much less common.

Thank you. This is what I wanted to know. On a scale of one to ten, how bad did you feel?

Aw Nelson, sorry about your husband. How is he doing?

If I were concerned, I'd probably call my doctor's nurse and talk to her.

I went in for chest pains once, turns out (not that they diagnosed it) it was an autoimmune arthritis that was attacking my rib joints making them hurt when I breathe. They just ruled out pneumonia and heart attack and sent me home.

I'd say on any given day anywhere from a 5 to a 10. More like a 10 a few days before the big one.

Nelson, Sorry to hear about your husband. How's he doing now?

These are the things I have trouble with because I *always* have left shoulder pain radiating down my left arm. I mean not 24x7, but certainly just about every day of the week at some point or other. I've had it for nearly 35 years. And yes I have seem doctors and had tests and nothing is ever found wrong. But left shoulder and arm pain and numbness are a way of life for me.

So I asked the doctor, if I *always* have left shoulder and arm pain and numbness then how could I possibly know if I was having a heart attack with those symptoms, and I was told, "well I guess it would be when your pain feels 'different." So now I always worry about how I will know if it feels "different"?