May 10, 2013 -- Taking antibiotics could relieve symptoms of chronic lower back pain for up to 40% of people, according to a new study.
Danish researchers say they've found a link between many cases of back pain and infection from bacteria.
Some experts have questioned how many people are likely to benefit from this treatment. Others have cautioned that boosting antibiotic use in the face of growing resistance could be counterproductive and lead to more superbugs.
Back pain is a common condition, affecting about 4 out of 5 people at some point in their lives.
Recommended treatments include painkillers, hot or cold compresses, lifestyle changes, physical therapy, and keeping active. In extreme cases, when other treatments have failed, surgery may be carried out to remove part of a damaged disc.
The latest studies from the University of Southern Denmark build on previous research, which shows that between 7% and 53% of patients with herniated discs have a type of bacteria. In these patients the bacteria entered the disc at the time it was herniated, or "slipped."
In the first study of 61 patients who had spinal surgery for lower back pain, the researchers found bacteria in 46% of the slipped discs.
In a second study, the research team recruited 162 patients who had been living with low back pain for more than 6 months following a slipped disc. Half of the patients were given a 100-day course of antibiotic treatment, while the others received a placebo.
After a 1-year follow-up period, those who'd taken antibiotics were less likely to still have lower back pain and physical disability. They were also less likely to have leg pain and to have taken days off work because of their back.
The researchers estimate that about 35% to 40% of people with long-term back pain have excess fluid in the spinal vertebrae and might benefit from this type of treatment.
The findings are published in the European Spine Journal.
Media reports that antibiotics could be a cure for back pain have alarmed John O'Dowd, a consultant spinal surgeon and president of the British Society for Back Pain Research.
"Unless you've had a disc herniation ... I don't think you should be getting too excited, and I don't think this is going to be a treatment for you," O’Dowd says. "I think this is another useful building block of evidence, but I don't think it's either a cure or the answer to back pain."
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Track your way to weight loss success Manage your family's vaccinations Join the conversation See more benefits Sign Up Why WebMD? My WebMD Show Menu My Tools My WebMD Pages My Account Sign Out FacebookTwitterPinterest WebMD Home Heart Health Center Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke Email a Friend Print Article if (pf_param == "true") {printElements();} Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke Next Article: Skip to Article Content Atrial Fibrillation and Stroke AFib Treatment Facts on AFib treatments, including blood thinners to prevent clots. Stroke Prevention Procedures to help control or stop AFib. Get the Facts on AFib Learn the basics of heart rhythm disorders. AFib: Causes and Risks Find out who's at highest risk for AFib, and why. How AFib Is Diagnosed Your practical guide to tests used to diagnose atrial fibrillation. AFib: Medical Care Getting the most from your medicine and your health care team. 6 Medical Symptoms Never to Ignore Is that medical symptom life-threatening? Facts you should know. Atrial Fibrillation Symptoms Symptoms of atrial fibrillation explained in easy-to-understand terms. The Warning Signs of Stroke How to recognize the signs and symptoms of stroke. Stroke: Who's at Risk? Stay proactive and informed. Find out who's at risk for having a stroke. AFib: Your Healthy Lifestyle How healthy eating, exercise, and relaxation help you feel your best with AFib. False 6 Serious Medical Symptoms Some medical symptoms are warnings that you need immediate care. Learn to recognize them. WebMD Feature By Katherine Kam Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD
That new symptom is troubling: the inexplicable swelling in your calf or the blood in your urine. Could it be serious or even life-threatening?
"Your body flashes signals -- symptoms and signs -- that warn you of potential problems," say Neil Shulman, MD, Jack Birge, MD, and Joon Ahn, MD. The three Georgia-based doctors are the authors of the book Your Body's Red Light Warning Signals.
Fortunately, many symptoms turn out not to be serious. For example, the majority of headaches stem from stress, eyestrain, lack of sleep, dehydration, caffeine withdrawal, and other mundane causes.
But a sudden, agonizing "thunderclap" headache -- the worst of your life -- could mean bleeding in the brain. Being able to recognize this serious symptom and calling 911 may save your life.
Here are six important flashing signals.
1. Paralysis of the arms or legs, tingling, numbness, confusion, dizziness, double vision, slurred speech, trouble finding words, or weakness, especially on one side of the face or body.
These are signs of stroke -- or a "brain attack" -- in which arteries that supply oxygen to the brain become blocked or rupture, causing brain tissue to die.
Symptoms depend on which area of the brain is involved. If a large blood vessel is blocked, a wide area may be affected, so a person may have paralysis on one side of the body and lose other functions, such as speech and understanding. If a smaller vessel is blocked, paralysis may remain limited to an arm or leg, or even the face.
If you have symptoms, call 911 right away and get to an emergency room that offers clot-busting therapy for strokes due to blocked vessels. Such treatment, which dissolves clots in blocked vessels, needs to be given within the first 3 hours after symptoms begin, but newer treatments may work within a longer time frame, says Birge, who is medical director at the Tanner Medical Center in Carrollton, Ga.
Timing is urgent; fast treatment can potentially stop brain tissue death before permanent brain injury happens. "There is a time clock ticking as to when you might totally recover," Birge tells WebMD.
2. Chest pain or discomfort; pain in the arm, jaw, or neck; breaking out in a cold sweat; extreme weakness; nausea; vomiting; feeling faint; or being short of breath.
These are signs of heart attack. If you get some of these symptoms, call 911 immediately and go to the emergency room by ambulance. Shulman and Birge also recommend that patients chew one regular, full-strength aspirin (unless they're allergic to aspirin) to help prevent damage to the heart muscle during a heart attack.
Not everyone who has a heart attack feels chest pain or pressure or a sense of indigestion. Some people, especially women, the elderly, and people with diabetes, get "painless" heart attacks, the doctors say. Being aware of "painless" heart attack signs is crucial: symptoms may include weakness, sudden dizziness, a pounding heart, shortness of breath, heavy sweating, a feeling of impending doom, nausea, and vomiting.
1 2 3 #url_reference {display: none};#url_reference { display: block; line-height: 150%; margin-bottom: 10px; }#logo_rdr img { visibility: visible; }.titleBar_rdr .titleBarMiddle_fmt { padding-top: 1.5em;} Atrial Fibrillation Atrial Fibrillation Living With AFib AFib Treatments Heart Rhythm Reset Facts on AFib AFib Risks Diagnosing AFib For Family Medical Care Serious Symptoms Signs of AFib Signs of Stroke Stroke Risk Factors Live Well With AFib // self executing function for scope (function(){ // grabs pageview id out of global scope and makes sure it exists as we need to pass it to ads in that case var pageviewId = window.s_pageview_id || ''; var iframeURLOutOfPB = '//as.webmd.com/html.ng/transactionID=220340691&tile=775164985&tug=&pug=__&site=2&affiliate=20&hcent=&scent=948&pos=113&xpg=1629&sec=&au1=1&au2=1&uri=%2fheart%2fatrial-fibrillation-stroke-11%2fserious-symptoms&artid=091e9c5e80011096&inst=0&leaf=12948&segm=0&cc=10&tmg=&bc=_i_j45_r52_&mcent=µ=&pvid=' + pageviewId; var cleanIframeURL = iframeURLOutOfPB.replace(/&/g, '&'); var ad = { adLocation:'left', adURL:cleanIframeURL, trans:'220340691', tile:'775164985', pos:'113' }; // check to make sure this seed call functionality exists, if it does, dooo it if(webmd.object.exists('webmd.ads.handleAdSeedCall')) { webmd.ads.handleAdSeedCall(ad); } })(); // self executing function for scope (function(){ // grabs pageview id out of global scope and makes sure it exists as we need to pass it to ads in that case var pageviewId = window.s_pageview_id || ''; var iframeURLOutOfPB = '//as.webmd.com/html.ng/transactionID=220340691&tile=775164985&tug=&pug=__&site=2&affiliate=20&hcent=&scent=948&pos=121&xpg=1629&sec=&au1=1&au2=1&uri=%2fheart%2fatrial-fibrillation-stroke-11%2fserious-symptoms&artid=091e9c5e80011096&inst=0&leaf=12948&segm=0&cc=10&tmg=&bc=_i_j45_r52_&mcent=µ=&pvid=' + pageviewId; var cleanIframeURL = iframeURLOutOfPB.replace(/&/g, '&'); var ad = { adLocation:'right', adURL:cleanIframeURL, trans:'220340691', tile:'775164985', pos:'121' }; // check to make sure this seed call functionality exists, if it does, dooo it if(webmd.object.exists('webmd.ads.handleAdSeedCall')) { webmd.ads.handleAdSeedCall(ad); } })(); Life With Atrial Fibrillation Tips and facts to help you live your best with atrial fibrillation. Atrial Fibrillation Poll Which atrial fibrillation symptom bothers you the most? Palpitations Shortness of breath Lightheadedness or dizziness Chest pain I don't have any symptoms View Results WebMD Video Series Atrial Fibrillation Atrial Fibrillation Discover what happens during atrial fibrillation and what your doctor can do to manage it. Spotting a Stroke Spotting a Stroke Stroke is a leading killer of women, but the risk is higher for African Americans. Learn how one survivor is increasing awareness. Health Solutions From Our Sponsors Osteoarthritis Center Diagnosed With Low T? Vaccine Questions? Back Always Aching? High Triglycerides? Child with Diabetes? Therapy for Low T Vaccines for All Ages Treating Knee Pain Depression Treatment Chronic Low Back Pain Treating Fibromyalgia Middle-of-the-Night Wakeup? Help for Joint Pain Benefits and Risks of Vaccines More From WebMD: Treating Depression|RA Basics|Ulcerative Colitis Diet|Crohn's Disease|Insomnia Myths|Low Testosterone|Managing OA Pain|HIV Myths Find us on:URAC: Accredited Health Web SiteHonCode: Health on the Net FoundationAdChoicesAbout WebMD Advertise With Us Terms of Use Privacy Policy Sponsor Policy Site Map Careers Contact UsMedscape Reference eMedicineHealth RxList Medscape MedicineNet BootsWebMD WebMD CorporateFirst Aid WebMD Magazine WebMD Health Record WebMD Mobile Newsletters Dictionary Physician Directory
My husband was just diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease. Can you discuss it in your column? I don’t know anything about it.
Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a disease of the central nervous system. It causes problems with body motions and movement. PD worsens over time.
Brain cells “talk” to each other by making and releasing chemicals called neurotransmitters. When one cell releases a neurotransmitter, another picks up the signal. One type of neurotransmitter is dopamine.
Dopamine is made in an area deep in the brain called the basal ganglia. That is also where movements are coordinated. The dopamine made by cells in the basal ganglia is necessary for the basal ganglia to function properly.
PD develops when dopamine-producing nerve cells (neurons) in the brain die and not enough dopamine is produced. This affects movement. (I’ve put an illustration of this process below.)
In people with Parkinson’s disease, dopamine-producing nerve cells die. As a result, not enough dopamine is produced, making it difficult to control muscle movement.
(Image courtesy of Krames Staywell.)
PD usually begins as a slight tremor or stiffness that is most obvious at rest. When the hands of a PD sufferer are resting in his lap, they may tremble. But when he reaches for a cup of coffee, for instance, his hands may stop trembling.
As the illness worsens, tremors become more widespread. PD also causes rigidity and a slowing of body movements. A person’s face slowly becomes expressionless. Initiating a movement, like sitting up from a chair, may take many seconds to start. A person walks slowly, with short, quick steps.
If your husband’s PD gets much worse, he will likely have difficulty walking and performing daily activities such as dressing or using utensils. But in some people PD progresses very slowly.
There is no cure for PD, but symptoms can be treated with medications. Medication may not be necessary at first. Treatment usually begins when symptoms interfere with work or home life, or when it becomes difficult to walk or maintain balance.
Medications used to treat PD either boost levels of dopamine in the brain or mimic the effects of dopamine. The most commonly used medication is levodopa. It is usually prescribed in combination with another drug called carbidopa. Other medications can also be used, either alone or in combination with levodopa.
Nearly all patients improve after they start taking levodopa. But long-term use often causes side effects and complications.
Depression is fairly common in people with PD. Antidepressant medications can help. Regular exercise and a balanced diet also may help to improve a patient’s sense of well-being and body control. The type of exercise called tai chi has been shown to help.
Surgery is considered only when medications are no longer effective. Surgical options include deep brain stimulation in which electrical stimulation is delivered to targeted areas of the brain to control symptoms. Another option involves destroying precisely targeted areas of the brain that are responsible for the most troubling symptoms.
We can do a great deal more to help people with PD today than when I was in medical school. Based on the progress of research, I expect more effective treatments in the future.
SATURDAY, APRIL 13 (HealthDay News) -- For menopausal women who can't make it to the gym, higher levels of routine physical activity during the day may help relieve sleep problems caused by hot flashes or night sweats, a small new study suggests.
Exercise improves sleep for people in general, but studies in menopausal women have been inconclusive, said the researchers at the Pittsburgh site of the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation.
Their new study included 27 white and 25 black women, aged 54 to 63, with hot flashes and night sweats. The women kept sleep diaries and wore sleep monitors. They also provided information about their physical activity levels, including routine household and caregiving chores requiring light, moderate or vigorous effort, as well as sports and exercise in their leisure time.
The investigators found that women with higher levels of daytime activity reported fewer nighttime awakenings and better sleep. These benefits were mainly associated with household and caregiving chores, rather than sports or exercise, the study authors noted in a news release from the North American Menopause Society.
The positive effects of physical activity occurred mainly in white women who were not obese. Further research is needed to find out why black and obese women may not get the same sleep benefits from physical activity, the researchers said.
The study, by Maya Lambiase and Rebecca Thurston, was released online recently in the journal Menopause in advance of publication in the September print issue of the journal.
But some patients still may be more sensitive than others
By Mary Elizabeth Dallas
HealthDay Reporter
TUESDAY, June 4 (HealthDay News) -- Although some people with fibromyalgia are sensitive to changes in temperature, sunshine and precipitation, new research shows that weather conditions do not affect the pain or fatigue associated with this chronic condition.
"Our analyses provide more evidence against, than in support of, the daily influence of weather on fibromyalgia pain and fatigue," said study first author Ercolie Bossema from Utrecht University in the Netherlands.
The study, published in the journal Arthritis Care & Research, involved nearly 350 women with fibromyalgia, a chronic syndrome that causes unexplained pain, fatigue, headaches and sleep disturbances. The women were 47 years old, on average, and had been diagnosed almost two years earlier. They were asked about symptoms of pain and fatigue over the course of 28 days, during which time the researchers also recorded weather conditions, including outside temperature, sunshine duration, precipitation, atmospheric pressure and relative humidity, as reported by the Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute.
Changes in weather showed a significant but small effect on pain or fatigue symptoms for 10 percent of cases. Significant, small differences between patients' responses to weather also were found in 20 percent of cases.
The researchers said differences among the women's response to weather conditions did not appear linked to functional or mental health status, demographics or seasonal or weather-related variations.
In the United States, 5 million people have fibromyalgia, many more of them women than men. Although the cause of this chronic pain syndrome is unclear, previous studies have suggested some people with fibromyalgia are more sensitive to certain stimuli. Up to 92 percent of people with this condition report a worsening of symptoms because of weather conditions.
"Previous research has investigated weather conditions and changes in fibromyalgia symptoms, but an association remains unclear," Bossema said in a journal news release.
The study's authors said future research on this issue should include more patient characteristics, such as personality traits and beliefs about chronic pain, in order to explain individual differences in weather sensitivity.
I have always eaten three meals a day and had one or two snacks in between (fruit etc.)
Recently I am getting hungry fairly often - every 1/2 hrs...
For example, this morning I had porridge and honey with a cup of tea. Then I had a pear. An hour later my stomach is rumbling with hunger pangs and I am considering brunch? Could it be stress/an illness of some form/or am I just thinking about food too much?
May 10, 2013 -- Taking antibiotics could relieve symptoms of chronic lower back pain for up to 40% of people, according to a new study.
Danish researchers say they've found a link between many cases of back pain and infection from bacteria.
Some experts have questioned how many people are likely to benefit from this treatment. Others have cautioned that boosting antibiotic use in the face of growing resistance could be counterproductive and lead to more superbugs.
Back pain is a common condition, affecting about 4 out of 5 people at some point in their lives.
Recommended treatments include painkillers, hot or cold compresses, lifestyle changes, physical therapy, and keeping active. In extreme cases, when other treatments have failed, surgery may be carried out to remove part of a damaged disc.
The latest studies from the University of Southern Denmark build on previous research, which shows that between 7% and 53% of patients with herniated discs have a type of bacteria. In these patients the bacteria entered the disc at the time it was herniated, or "slipped."
In the first study of 61 patients who had spinal surgery for lower back pain, the researchers found bacteria in 46% of the slipped discs.
In a second study, the research team recruited 162 patients who had been living with low back pain for more than 6 months following a slipped disc. Half of the patients were given a 100-day course of antibiotic treatment, while the others received a placebo.
After a 1-year follow-up period, those who'd taken antibiotics were less likely to still have lower back pain and physical disability. They were also less likely to have leg pain and to have taken days off work because of their back.
The researchers estimate that about 35% to 40% of people with long-term back pain have excess fluid in the spinal vertebrae and might benefit from this type of treatment.
The findings are published in the European Spine Journal.
Media reports that antibiotics could be a cure for back pain have alarmed John O'Dowd, a consultant spinal surgeon and president of the British Society for Back Pain Research.
"Unless you've had a disc herniation ... I don't think you should be getting too excited, and I don't think this is going to be a treatment for you," O’Dowd says. "I think this is another useful building block of evidence, but I don't think it's either a cure or the answer to back pain."
Improvements reported in muscle strength, fatigue and quality of life
By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter
SATURDAY, May 18 (HealthDay News) -- Vitamin D supplements may help those with Crohn's disease overcome the fatigue and decreased muscle strength associated with the inflammatory bowel disease, according to new research.
Extra vitamin D "was associated with significantly less physical, emotional and general fatigue, greater quality of life and the ability to perform activities of daily living," said Tara Raftery, a research dietitian and doctoral candidate at Trinity College Dublin. She is scheduled to present the findings Saturday at the Digestive Disease Week meeting in Orlando, Fla.
Raftery and her colleagues evaluated 27 patients who had Crohn's in remission. (Even in remission, fatigue and quality of life can be problematic.) The patients were assigned to take either 2,000 IUs (international units) of vitamin D a day or a dummy vitamin for three months.
Before and after the study, the researchers measured hand-grip strength, fatigue, quality of life and blood levels of vitamin D.
"Hand-grip strength is a proxy measure of muscle function," Raftery said. "Muscle function has been known to be reduced in Crohn's disease."
Besides boosting bone growth and remodeling, vitamin D is thought to improve neuromuscular and immune function, reduce inflammation and help with other bodily tasks. Children and adults aged 1 year to 70 are advised to get 600 IUs a day; older adults, 800, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Vitamin D is found in fatty fish such as salmon, in smaller amounts in cheese, egg yolks and beef liver, and in fortified foods such as milk.
Sometimes called the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is also produced when the sun's rays strike the skin.
Crohn's can affect any part of the gastrointestinal tract, but most commonly affects the end of the small bowel and the beginning of the colon. Symptoms vary, but may include persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, abdominal cramps, and pain and constipation. About 700,000 Americans are affected, according to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America.
Its cause is not well understood, but Crohn's is thought to involve heredity and environmental factors. Experts believe that in those with Crohn's, the immune system attacks harmless intestinal bacteria, triggering chronic inflammation and, eventually, the disease symptoms.
The daily vitamin D supplement benefitted participants in many ways, Raftery found. "When levels of vitamin D peaked at 30 ng/mL (75 nmol/L) or more [a level considered healthy], muscle function in both the dominant and non-dominant hands were significantly higher than in those who had levels less than 30 ng/mL," she said.
Quality of life improved more for the D-supplement group, too. Using a standard measure to evaluate quality of life, the researchers found those who achieved a healthy blood level of the vitamin scored 24 points higher than those not on supplements. A 20-point difference is considered meaningful from a "real-world" perspective, Raftery said.
TUESDAY, Feb. 26 (HealthDay News) -- A drug often used to treat chronic heart failure may not ease symptoms in people with one form of the disease, a new study suggests.
The medication, called spironolactone (Aldactone), failed to improve symptoms or quality of life among 422 patients with diastolic heart failure -- a form of the disease that affects about half of all people with heart failure.
The drug did, however, benefit the structure and function of patients' hearts. And experts said it's too early to know what to make of the results, which appear in the Feb. 27 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
"It would be premature to say this is not beneficial," said Dr. Sanjiv Shah, a cardiologist at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, in Chicago, who was not involved in the study.
Shah is involved in an ongoing study of spironolactone's effects in people with diastolic heart failure. And that trial is focusing on the big questions: Can the drug prevent or delay hospitalizations, or prolong people's lives?
Spironolactone is in a class of drugs called aldosterone receptor antagonists. They cause the kidneys to eliminate excess water and sodium from the body, so they can lower blood pressure and get rid of fluid build-up in some people with heart failure.
And studies have shown that spironolactone can extend the lives of some heart failure patients -- namely, those with a low "ejection fraction." That means the percentage of blood pushed out by the heart with each contraction is abnormally low.
The problem is that heart failure is "heterogeneous," according to Shah, who described it as a "syndrome" -- or a collection of signs and symptoms -- rather than a disease. So a treatment that works for some patients may not work as well for others.
In general, heart failure is a chronic condition where the heart does not pump blood efficiently enough to meet the body's needs. That causes symptoms such as fatigue, breathlessness and fluid build-up in the legs and feet.
In systolic heart failure, the heart's left ventricle (the main pumping chamber) cannot contract strongly enough, and many people with this form of heart failure have a reduced ejection fraction.
In the diastolic form, the left ventricle doesn't relax enough between contractions, which means it cannot fill up with as much blood as it should. But the heart's ejection fraction is actually normal.
Diastolic heart failure is trickier to diagnose, and doctors know less about how to best treat it, said Dr. John Cleland, a cardiologist at Hull York Medical School in Kingston-upon-Hull, England, who co-wrote an editorial published with the study.
He agreed that it's too soon to draw conclusions from the current findings, and that doctors will know more when Shah's study results are in.
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When a heart attack strikes, it doesn’t always feel the same in women as it does in men.
Women don't always get the same classic heart attack symptoms as men, such as crushing chest pain that radiates down one arm. Those heart attack symptoms can certainly happen to women, but many experience vague or even “silent” symptoms that they may miss. Recommended Related to Heart Disease Heart Palpitations
Heart palpitations are a feeling that your heart is beating too hard or too fast, skipping a beat, or fluttering. You may notice heart palpitations in your chest, throat, or neck.Heart palpitations can be bothersome or frightening. They usually aren't serious or harmful, though, and often go away on their own. Most of the time, they're related to stress and anxiety or to consumption of stimulants such as caffeine, nicotine, or alcohol. Palpitations also often occur during pregnancy.In about one...
These six heart attack symptoms are common in women:
Chest pain or discomfort. Chest pain is the most common heart attack symptom, but some women may experience it differently than men. It may feel like a squeezing or fullness, and the pain can be anywhere in the chest, not just on the left side. It's usually "truly uncomfortable" during a heart attack, says cardiologist Rita Redberg, MD, director of Women’s Cardiovascular Services at the University of California, San Francisco. "It feels like a vise being tightened." Pain in your arm(s), back, neck, or jaw. This type of pain is more common in women than in men. It may confuse women who expect their pain to be focused on their chest and left arm, not their back or jaw. The pain can be gradual or sudden, and it may wax and wane before becoming intense. If you're asleep, it may wake you up. You should report any "not typical or unexplained" symptoms in any part of your body above your waist to your doctor or other health care provider, says cardiologist C. Noel Bairey Merz, MD, director of the Barbra Streisand Women's Heart Center at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. Stomach pain. Sometimes people mistake stomach pain that signals a heart attack with heartburn, the flu, or a stomach ulcer. Other times, women experience severe abdominal pressure that feels like an elephant sitting on your stomach, says cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, MD, medical director of the Joan H. Tisch Center for Women’s Health at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York. Shortness of breath, nausea, or lightheadedness. If you're having trouble breathing for no apparent reason, you could be having a heart attack, especially if you're also having one or more other symptoms. "It can feel like you have run a marathon, but you didn't make a move," Goldberg says. Sweating. Breaking out in a nervous, cold sweat is common among women who are having a heart attack. It will feel more like stress-related sweating than perspiration from exercising or spending time outside in the heat. "Get it checked out" if you don't typically sweat like that and there is no other reason for it, such as heat or hot flashes, Bairey Merz says. Fatigue. Some women who have heart attacks feel extremely tired, even if they've been sitting still for a while or haven't moved much. "Patients often complain of a tiredness in the chest," Goldberg says. "They say that they can't do simple activities, like walk to the bathroom."
Not everyone gets all of those symptoms. If you have chest discomfort, especially if you also have one or more of the other signs, call 911 immediately.
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