5 symptoms of heart attacks in women 'too often' written off as anxiety

5 symptoms of heart attacks in women 'too often' written off as anxiety "You're too anxious - that's what too many women hear while their heart is literally struggling for oxygen," said TV's Dr Nighar Arif. "We were taught heart attacks look like a man clutching his chest." Women are "too often" being told their health concerns are symptoms of anxiety, when actually they could be a sign of something far more serious, a TV doctor has warned. Dr Nighar Arif is a specialist in women's health who has appeared on the BBC and ITV, and regularly dishes out useful information and advice on social media. She recently posted a video on TikTok in which she explained symptoms of heart attacks in women are often brushed off as something less serious. "You're too anxious - that's what too many women hear while their heart is literally struggling for oxygen," she said. "And I see it in my clinics as well, because we were taught heart attacks look like a man clutching his chest. It's sharp, it's dramatic, it's obvious. But over the years, as somebody who does women's health and I've realised in women it's not the case at all. It's quieter, it's easy to dismiss, it's easier to miss." Heart attack symptoms Dr Arif outlined these "red flags" she said all women should be aware of: - Breathlessness that you can't explain - Nausea that won't settle - Dull spread of pain in the back, between the shoulder blades, and possibly in the jaw - A sense that "something is deeply wrong" - Flu-like symptoms Heart attack health risks for women Dr Arif continued: "Here's the truth we don't say loudly enough. Young women are twice as likely as men their age to die in the year after a heart attack. "Not because their hearts are weaker, because their symptoms were overlooked, dismissed, delayed. This isn't rare, this is happening every day. "So I want you to know this. If something feels off, even if it doesn't look like a heart attack, trust your body. "Think about it as being a heart attack in women, because women have cardiovascular disease risks and they're often told it's probably just anxiety." Do women and men experience heart attacks differently? It is sometimes said that women and men experience heart attacks differently, with men tending to experience more severe, sudden symptoms. However, this is a myth, according to the British Heart Foundation. The charity says: "Symptoms can vary from person to person, but there are no symptoms that are more common in women than in men." But, it warned, this misconception can itself have a damaging impact, resulting in women being less likely to seek treatment. "These misconceptions may also delay diagnosis, making poor outcomes more likely," it said. "Coronary heart disease kills more than twice as many women than breast cancer in the UK every year. But despite this, it’s often considered a man’s disease." It added the most common signs of a heart attack are: - sudden and persisting pain or discomfort in the chest that feels like pressure, tightness, or squeezing - the pain may spread to either arm, the neck, jaw, back, or stomach - you may also feel sick, sweaty, light-headed or short of breath. Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings