Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection
(SCAD)
Symptoms
Since spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) occurs suddenly without warning, there aren’t any symptoms of it until you’re actually having a heart attack. Heart attack symptoms include the following:
- Chest pain or tightness, sometimes extending to the arms, shoulders, or jaw
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Dizziness
- Sweating
- Epigastric pain (pain just below the ribs)
Symptoms in women
The heart attack severity associated with SCAD can range from mild to severe. It should be noted that women* can present with atypical symptoms, especially those with connective tissue disorder. These symptoms may include the following:
- Sudden onset of weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Indigestion
- Body aches
- An overall feeling of illness
- Unusual feeling or mild discomfort in the back, chest, arm, neck, or jaw (with or without chest pain)
- Sleep disturbance
Women's Cardiovascular Health
It's important for women to learn about their cardiovascular health, as women overall seem to have poorer outcomes from heart disease treatment than men.
*The term “women” in the context of “women’s cardiovascular health” applies to individuals assigned female at birth (AFAB) who have a female biological reproductive system, which includes a vagina, uterus, ovaries, Fallopian tubes, accessory glands, and external genital organs.
*The term “men” in the context of “cardiovascular health” applies to individuals assigned male at birth (AMAB) who have a male biological reproductive system, which includes a penis, scrotum, testes, epididymis, vas deferens, prostate, and seminal vesicles.