Heart Attack Signs Every Woman Should Know

Upper Body Pain

Pain in the neck, back, jaw, teeth, arms (typically the left) and shoulder blades is a frequent symptom of heart attack in women.

This is called "radiating" pain and is due to the fact that the heart has many fewer nerve endings than, say, the fingertip, where pain will be localized, Dr. Hayes explains.

"When the heart is being injured, pain can be felt in other areasNausea vomiting and upset stomuch

According to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services Office on womens' health , women are twice as likely as men to experience nausea, vomiting, or indigestion-like symptoms, such as heartburn , while having a heart attack.

This is often because the blood supply to the right coronary artery, which extends to the bottom of the heart, is blocked, Dr. Hayes explains. Unless they're also having chest pain, many women write it off as something they ate when they should be calling 9-1-1, she adds.," she says. Generally, though, pain related to a heart attack is confined to the upper body. It's not likely to travel below the belly button.