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Women in the Red Dress campaign have a message for you. If you're a woman, you need to pay attention.

These ladies speak to groups of around the country about women and heart disease. They are health care professionals, members of the community and survivors. And they have something important to say to women everywhere.

One of the most important messages they carry is that more women die from heart disease than from breast cancer. Another is that many women have symptoms other than the classic chest pain that radiates down the left arm, jaw pain, profuse sweating, lightheadedness and shortness of breath.

Women often have symptoms such as fatigue, insomnia, shortness of breath, indigestion and a sense of uneasiness. For many victims, these symptoms begin a month before the actual event. Less than one third of women report having chest pain before having a heart attack and about 43% have no chest pain during their myocardial infarction. Some women report abdominal or back pain and others have swelling in their feet and ankles, unexplained anxiety and are pale or sweaty.

The most frightening thing is that some women experience what is called a silent heart attack. They have no symptoms at all. Silent MI s are usually a result of underlying pathology such as diabetes and obesity, along with risk factors such as smoking and high cholesterol and being a post-menopausal woman. This can lead to a long term lack of blood and oxygen to the heart, resulting in permanent damage to the heart muscle.

Part of the problem is that even if a woman feels that she is having a heart attack and goes to the emergency room, many emergency room doctors don't look at a woman experiencing chest or back discomfort and shortness of breath as having symptoms of a heart attack. Often, women's symptom's can be attributed to other causes. More likely she will be told she is having an anxiety attack or indigestion.

If you believe you may be having a heart attack ask the emergency room physician or nurse about doing an EKG (electrocardiogram) and drawing blood work to check cardiac enzymes. These enzymes are elevated for a period during and after a heart attack. Remember you are your best advocate!

If you feel you are experiencing any of these symptoms, take a regular strength aspirin and go to the emergency room. Don't hesitate about asking for the tests that my help save your life.

So if you hear the ladies in red speak to your group or organization, listen and remember their words. It may save your life.

Learn more about this author, Rhiannon McBryde.
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