Many people are familiar with the “classic” signs of a heart attack: sudden, crushing chest pain that may feel like an elephant is sitting on your chest, and pain that radiates down your left arm. However, some people may not know that women can experience slightly different heart attack symptoms, too.

Although women can feel severe chest pain or left arm pain or tightness during a heart attack, they may also or instead experience some different symptoms, including:

• A feeling of fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It may be constant, or it may be on and off
• Pain in your jaw, arm, neck, back or stomach
• Feeling short of breath. You may feel short of breath with chest pain, or without chest pain
• Having cold sweat on your body
• Feeling nauseated (sick at your stomach) or vomiting (throwing up)
• Lightheadedness
• Feeling extremely tired
• Fainting

Of these symptoms, the most common ones for women to feel (other than chest pain) are “shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain” (source: http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/HeartAttack/WarningSignsofaHeartAttack/Heart-Attack-Symptoms-in-Women_UCM_436448_Article.jsp#.VssbaHT2a71).

Sometimes, it might feel too scary to admit to yourself that something serious could be happening. You might try to tell yourself, “I’m just tired” or “I bet it’s just the flu.” However, if you’re a woman and you’re experiencing any of these symptoms, or if a woman in your life is experiencing these symptoms,  especially if you have any history of heart disease, please go the hospital or call 911 right away! During a heart attack, delays in treatment can cause more of your heart muscle to become injured or die. This heart muscle damage or death can cause even more serious health problems. Taking heart attack symptoms seriously is very important for both women and men.

If you’d like more information about heart disease or heart attack, please ask your HealthNet staff or provider for handouts or other information.

Post by Kate Buckley

“In my world, I think most people think the word cancer means death,” Irene said when talking about her experience.

After discovering the lump, her next step was to call her daughter, who then set up an appointment for an exam.  Through HealthNet’s Mammography Assistance Program, Irene was referred to Methodist Hospital to get a mammogram.

Uninsured women are less likely to be screened for breast cancer, causing their risk of dying from the disease to increase by 20%.

Rosa Alcazar with her mother Irene Lopez

Irene was lucky.  Her aunt had battled with breast cancer before, so she was in the habit of performing self-examinations and getting regular screenings and mammograms.

HealthNet was just the beginning of the journey for Ms. Lopez, and it was the relationship between our health centers and local hospitals that eventually led to her recovery. After speaking with Rosa and being referred to Methodist Hospital for her mammogram, Irene’s biopsy was also done at Methodist, further tests were done with an oncologist, her surgery was done at Wishard, and Irene’s 30 radiation treatments were done at Indiana University Hospital.

“I was very scared, but I had a lot of signs telling me that everything was going to be okay.  All of the support from the doctors, nurses, and staff, people who didn’t even know me helped me so much.“

Irene spoke about how she felt it was important for her to tell her story and to give her testimony so that others can learn from her experience.  The reality is that most patients who visit community health centers are low-income and may even be living in poverty which can only add to the stress of going through a difficult battle with cancer.  Many low-income women must choose between caring for themselves by getting regular screenings or getting regular check-ups for their children.

But HealthNet can help.

Irene was asked what she would say to any woman that may be starting their OWN journey with breast cancer, and her answer was this:

“Don’t be afraid.  Sometimes it feels like the world is shutting down, but if you look around, there are many doors that are opening.  Don’t ever lose faith in the doctors, nurses, or staff who are treating you, and with the support from your friends and family, you can make it through!”

Make a donation today that may help a woman in need gain access to a mammogram, visit our website and refer someone who needs direction to begin regular screenings, or simply spread the word on the importance of regular check-ups and mammograms.  Together, we can break down ALL barriers keeping women from staying healthy.