A woman s heart attack is not always the same as a man's. The nature of a heart attack doesn t change, of course. Heart attacks are caused by a lack of blood flow to the heart, whether the heart is pumping blood inside the body of a woman or a man. Heart attack warning signs can vary by sex, however. Compared to men, women less often report strong chest pain.
Chest pain is one of the most common warning signs of heart attack.
Yet a woman may first feel jaw, neck, arm, back or shoulder pain. She may feel short of breath. She may break out in a cold sweat, feel sick to her stomach or light-headed. All these warning signs can signal a heart attack in progress. Delay time in women is longer than in men.