Heart attack survivors often describe feeling like “a truck on the chest,” “breathing through a straw” or even “arms felt like bowling balls.”
Main Signs of a Heart Attack in Women
• Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest.
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath, with or without chest discomfort, light-headedness, fainting or extreme fatigue.
• Breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or light- headedness.
• Women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. They are more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
Many women chalk their symptoms up to the flu, acid reflux or even aging, meaning they might miss the opportunity for proper medical attention.
Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, author of “Atrial Fibrillation: Remineralize Your Heart”, talks on first aid measures to be followed if a female colleague is experiencing heart-related symptoms,
- Low levels of magnesium is often associated with the risk factors and symptoms of heart disease (hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol, heart arrhythmia, angina and heart attack) therefore hospitals tend to administer intravenous magnesium immediately upon a heart attack patient’s arrival at emergency rooms. Thus, an important first aid treatment in the office while waiting for an ambulance’s arrival would be to administer magnesium citrate powder mixed with water which is a high absorbable fast acting treatment short of an IV.
- Additionally, acupressure on Pericardium 6 acupuncture point is another first aid remedy that can be administered in the office with someone experiencing a heart attack – It’s called NeiGuan (PC6).
This acupressure point is very easy to find. It is located 2 cm (about 3 finger width) above your wrist, in the middle of your inner arm (medial side of the forearm), between the two big ligaments. One acupressure point on each forearm. (Please refer to the picture.)