"Nausea and abdominal pain in women may indicate the onset of a heart attack. The reason for this is the transmission of nerve signals from the heart and digestive organs to the brain through common pathways."
Milli.Az reports that these words were spoken by gastroenterologist Anna Menshchikova.
She stated that sometimes the brain mistakenly interprets the heart's alarm signal as abdominal pain.
"According to existing international guidelines, women are more likely than men to develop a specific type of coronary artery disease - a diffuse disease affecting small vessels. This condition may not create a clear clinical picture, but the heart suffers from oxygen deficiency. This ischemia manifests itself with symptoms similar to anxiety, weakness, and stomach ailments. Furthermore, during myocardial infarction, especially when the lower wall of the heart adjacent to the diaphragm is affected, there is a strong activation of the vagus nerve, which is the main regulator of gastrointestinal function. Stimulation of this nerve causes a sharp decrease in heart rate, a drop in blood pressure, and most importantly, nausea, vomiting, and a feeling of heaviness in the abdomen."
