The failure to diagnose a heart attack in a woman is too common

The movies and television give Louisiana residents a picture of how a heart attack might happen. A person, ordinarily a man, clutches his chest, talks about pain in his left arm and jaw and then collapses. Unfortunately, this depiction can be misleading — especially for women. This is part of what makes it far too easy for a failure to diagnose a heart attack in a woman happen.

Chest pain may be a clear signal that something is amiss, but many women, and some men, do not necessarily experience it when having a heart attack. Most women suffer from other, much more subtle symptoms. If a doctor fails to heed the warnings a woman’s body gives her, it could result in serious harm or even death.

For instance, unusual fatigue could signal that something is wrong. Feeling exhausted and short of breath after normally mundane tasks such as making a bed needs attention. If a woman finds herself sweating and short of breath when the amount of exertion does not warrant it, that could be a sign of a heart attack as well.

Back, jaw or neck pain could also signal a heart attack. Subtle signs tend to appear well in advance of a heart attack. Women here in Louisiana that feel as though they suffer from any of these signs should seek medical attention.

If a doctor fails to take your symptoms seriously, a failure to diagnose could occur. If that happens, and a person suffers harm or dies as a result, the doctor — and possibly others — could be held legally responsible. Medical malpractice cases can be complex and require the opinions of other medical professionals. Having an attorney provide advice and assistance through this process would be a great help.

Source: health.clevelandclinic.org, “Don’t Ignore These 3 Subtle Heart Attack Symptoms“, Leslie Cho, Accessed on May 13, 2017