The most common heart attack symptom for men is chest pain or discomfort, but women are more likely to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea and vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

If you or someone you're with has chest discomfort, especially if experiencing one or more of the other signs, DO NOT wait longer than a few minutes (no more than 5 minutes) before calling 911 and/or getting to a hospital right away. If it is you, DO NOT DRIVE YOURSELF unless you have no other option.

Calling 911 is usually the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment since emergency medical services (EMS) staff can begin treatment as soon they arrive, and they are equipped and trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. You'll also get faster treatment at the hospital when you arrive by ambulance.

Female Heart Attacks

A woman may never experience chest pain, the typical sign of a "male" heart attack. Many doctors — and women themselves — still look for chest pain and don’t realize that female heart attack symptoms can look very different than those of men. In fact, according to a 2004 study of women’s early heart attack signs published in Circulation, women have more unrecognized heart attacks than men and are more likely to be “mistakenly diagnosed and discharged from emergency departments” with indigestion, gastrointestinal problems, arthritis, pulled muscles, anxiety or hypochondria.

Women also face longer delays than men in being evaluated, treated, and admitted for heart attack care in emergency rooms than men (30 minutes vs. 20 minutes for men) and women diagnosed with having had a heart attack tend to be managed less aggressively and have a poorer prognosis than men. Is it any wonder that heart attacks are the number one killer of women?

Symptoms of female heart attacks:

• A feeling of indigestion and gas-like pain, or upper abdominal pressure

• Extreme fatigue

• Nausea, dizziness, vomiting and/or fainting

• Shortness of breath, unexplained fatigue or sudden weakness, or pressure in the lower chest

• Discomfort or pain in the back, especially between the shoulder blades, or jaw pain

• Recurring chest discomfort

Possible warning signs that a heart attack may be coming:

• About six weeks before an actual heart attack, women are likely to experience shortness of breath, unexplained fatigue or stomach pain — an early warning sign of a blocked artery.

• A family history of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and/or type 2 diabetes — causes extreme fatigue

• Frequently gasping for breath for no reason or exertion — sometimes mistaken for an anxiety attack

• On the day of an attack, these symptoms can appear during rest or even awaken a woman from sleep, and they’re much worse.

If having heart attack symptoms, dial 911 right away for an ambulance to take you to the emergency room. Do not waste time trying to reach your doctor. When you come into the emergency room with the [cardiac] monitor hooked up, you’re taken seriously.

Wait no more than 5 minutes. Getting immediate and appropriate care is the single most important thing you can do to lessen the damage from a heart attack. Most women are reluctant to call 911, which could cost precious time in saving heart muscle. Since symptoms may come and go leading up to an attack, a woman may put off calling, thinking this too will pass, or might be embarrassed if it is not a heart attack after all. Others may not appreciate the seriousness of the situation, either.

When you reach the emergency room, simply describe your symptoms. DO NOT offer your thoughts about what it might be. Just tell them how you feel. And if it doesn't occur to the emergency room staff that you may be having a heart attack, tell them that you think you are having one and insist on an EKG to rule out a heart attack, especially if you have risk factors like a family history of cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and/or type 2 diabetes.

To read the entire article, click on http://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/features/her-guide-to-a-heart-attack.