She was 48, a schoolteacher from Salkia. Mother of two boys. When she visited my OPD, she looked tired like she hadn’t slept for a few nights. She informed me that she has been pulling herself for the last two weeks. She feels tiredness, which is kind of weird, a burning feeling between her shoulders that comes and goes, and nausea during climbing stairs. Three doctors before me had told her it was acidity, or maybe perimenopause, or stress. “Probably nothing, doctor,” she said, half smiling. “Everyone thinks I’m just overworked.”

I almost believed it too. But something about the way she described the burning, how it didn’t feel like any acidity she’d ever had, made me pause. ECG. Blood draw. Half an hour later she was in the cath lab with an artery that was nearly shut. She made it. She’s back in her classroom now. But that case stayed with me. Because it’s not rare. This is what **women’s heart health** looks up close. Not the dramatic chest-clutching scene from television. Subtle signs, easily brushed off. And at Shree Jain Hospital, the Leading Hospital in Howrah for families across this whole belt, we’ve been trying for years to get people to take this stuff seriously.

We were all taught the wrong script

Cardiologists of my generation learned heart attacks from the male playbook. Squeezing chest pain, left arm going numb, textbook stuff. But women? Honestly, many of them never read that book. I’ve seen a patient from Liluah who only felt a choking sensation in her throat when she walked too fast. Another complained of jaw pain that came and went for weeks. She’d been to a dentist twice. I’ve had women tell me they just can’t catch their breath after folding laundry or cooking, and they think it’s their lungs or their age. The symptoms are so easy to dismiss.

Then there’s the testing problem. A regular angiogram often looks fairly clean in women because the trouble isn’t in the big, obvious arteries it’s hiding in the tiny vessels that feed the heart. Microvascular disease, they call it. Doesn’t jump out on a standard scan. 

Women often get advised that these are gastric problems, anxiety and sent back home. During menopause, the estrogen drops, and the risk rises. This is one of the core of a woman’s heart health. AS the alarm of women’s health sounds different, we need to learn it to diagnose better. 

What women actually feel

I’ve sat with enough heart attack survivors to hear a pattern. Tiredness that sleep doesn’t touch. A dull ache or burning in the upper back, between the shoulders, maybe creeping up into the jaw. Getting breathless from small chores. Feeling sick to the stomach, that heavy indigestion that won’t shift. Cold sweats at odd hours. Every single one of these can be blamed on a spicy meal, a bad mattress, or just getting older. So women wait. Sometimes days, sometimes a week. I’ve seen it too many times.

That’s why in our ER at the Leading Hospital in Howrah, the team does one small thing: they pause. A woman over forty walks in saying she feels a bit off, maybe has some stomach burning, maybe just doesn’t feel right. Two-minute ECG, no questions. If it’s even slightly off, cardiac enzymes. That tiny habit has caught heart attacks that would’ve walked out with a strip of antacids. It’s not high-tech, it’s just paying attention.

Risks that rarely come up in a normal chat

Cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, sure, everyone knows those. There are also some more symptoms against women. Do preeclampsia occur during pregnancy?  Your heart quietly flags that for years afterward. It doesn’t mean hot flushes means menopause. It disturbs the relaxation of the vessels and how the body is reacting with sugar and fat. Diseases which are autoimmune, like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, which are common in women, increase the simmering in inflammation. And stress? From what I’ve seen, stress and depression seem to hit women’s hearts harder. It can be hormonal, or may be the pressure of managing all at once. When a patient comes to consult, I enquire about her pregnancies, menopause,or how an usual day looks like. These conversations reveal more than a blood test. 

How we try to do it differently

We never wanted a fancy slogan on the wall. Instead, we put a Women’s Heart Desk in our cardiology OPD, just a quieter space where a nurse who isn’t in a hurry can listen. So many women start with “It’s probably nothing…” and then tell a story that changes everything. In the ER, we rewrote the chest pain protocol to include atypical signs like stomach burning or unexplained sweating. We pull in gynaecologists, endocrinologists, psychologists when the picture’s fuzzy, because a woman’s heart isn’t separate from the rest of her. And when a procedure’s needed, we lean on gentler approaches that suit smaller vessels better. The whole thing feels more like a conversation than a conveyor belt.

Small daily habits that count

Forget expensive packages. One should know her health results, BP, Diabetes, Cholesterol. Have a walk everyday, Sleeping is important as your heart heals during the rest. 

If your pregnancy history includes preeclampsia, or menopause came early, get a baseline check sooner rather than later. Our preventive plans at Shree Jain Hospital actually look at these things rather than just ticking boxes.

FAQs

What should make a woman pay attention?

Tiredness that hangs around and feels different from normal. Lack of breath during regular tasks. Uncomfortable feelings in jaw, chest, back or throat which come and go. Sudden occurrence of cold sweats, or feeling of lightheadedness. If such things happen, you must listen to it and act. 

Why do so many women get told it’s nothing?

Because the “classic” heart attack was defined by studying men. Women often show up differently, and small-vessel disease can hide on tests. Dedicated women’s heart health care exists to bridge that gap. The American Heart Association notes that heart disease kills one in three women each year, yet most still don’t see it as their top threat.

Does menopause really change things that much?

Yes. The estrogen drop shifts how arteries work, how fats and sugars are processed, and often adds belly weight. A heart check around that time is just sensible.

When should a woman with no symptoms see a cardiologist?

Around forty is a good baseline, especially with a family history or past pregnancy complications. And any time a symptom nags at you, don’t overthink it. We’d rather see a hundred false alarms than miss one real one.

Does Shree Jain Hospital have women-focused check-ups?

Absolutely. Our packages look at pregnancy history, menopausal status, and more. Reach us at [jainhospitalhowrah.com ] or just call. We’re here in Howrah.

I think about that teacher from Salkia often, how three doctors dismissed her, how she almost didn’t come to us. The heart doesn’t follow stereotypes. It sends whatever warning it can. If you’ve been carrying a feeling you can’t name, don’t brush it off. Visit Shree Jain Hospital and Research Centre, Howrah. As the Leading Hospital in Howrah, we’ve made it our everyday job to take women’s hearts seriously. Yours included.

Written by:The Medical Team, Shree Jain Hospital and Research Centre  

A group of doctors and specialists who have served Howrah and surrounding communities for over a decade 

Reviewed by: The Cardiology Team

Published: 2 July 2026