Not every heart attack comes with chest-clutching pain. Sometimes, the symptoms are so subtle that you might overlook them or mistake them for something less serious.
Like many women, Heather S. didn’t recognize the warning signs until it was nearly too late.
Not just a day at the park
Heather and her son were eating at a theme park when she felt a strange pressure in her throat. At first, she thought it was an allergic reaction to the food.
Then came dizziness, lightheadedness and shoulder pain. Heather quickly looked up women’s heart attack symptoms on her phone, but her experience didn’t match the description.
“As a mom, I didn’t want to scare my son,” she says. “But I let him know immediately what my symptoms were in the event that I passed out, so he could tell someone.”
By the time Heather reached the park’s first aid station, the stabbing pain in her back was overwhelming. Forty minutes later she was in surgery to repair her collapsed coronary artery.
Why women go undiagnosed
An active horseback rider, Heather didn’t have high blood pressure or cholesterol. But a year before her heart attack, she saw a doctor for tightness in her chest. The diagnosis? Allergies.
Later, while working on a ranch, she felt a tingling in her left arm. “I remember thinking ‘that’s a heart attack symptom,’ but I just went on with my day,” Heather recalls.
Her experience isn’t uncommon. “Unfortunately, for years, women’s concerns have been dismissed or misattributed to anxiety, stress or even indigestion,” explains Sirisha Vadali, MD, a cardiologist with HonorHealth Women’s Heart Health Program and independent member of the HonorHealth Medical Staff. “This is changing as awareness grows and more research focuses on how heart disease affects women differently.”
After surgery, Heather received support from Dr. Vadali and the HonorHealth Cardiometabolic Program, an expert team with a deep understanding of women’s heart health. Their specialized approach and ongoing guidance helped her during the two-year road to recovery.
Breaking the silence
Today, Heather is back in the saddle riding horses and completing fitness challenges. But she has also made it her mission to educate others about the differences in the way women have — and react to — heart attacks.
“If I had been at home, I probably would have taken ibuprofen, laid down and ignored it,” she admits. “I’m thankful I was somewhere that forced me to process what was happening.”
At HonorHealth, patients like Heather benefit from a team experienced in recognizing and treating heart disease in women, even when the signs aren’t textbook.
Heather’s story is a reminder that when it comes to heart health, silence isn’t golden. Trust your instincts, watch your symptoms and never be afraid to ask for help.
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