Lalina Franklin was having neck and jaw pain.
She had no idea she was on the verge of a severe heart attack.
"You think of some really bad pain in your chest and collapsing. I wasn't having any pain at all in my chest," said Lalina Franklin, heart patient.
New research in the Journal of the American Medical Association shows 42 percent of women under 55, do not feel chest pain during a heart attack. Hospitals often don't diagnose those women properly until its too late.
"When women arrive at the hospital, having a heart attack with symptoms different than chest pain, their care might not happen as immediate," Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum.
Researchers say that's why more than 14 percent of women are dying from heart attacks in the hospital compared to 10 percent of men.@
Doctors say there are signs a woman can look out for, besides chest pain.@
"They might have other symptoms like jaw pain, back pain, shortness of breath, nausea, fatigue and simply sweating. All of these things could be a heart attack," said Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum.
Cardiologist Suzanne Steinbaum says if you're noticing these symptoms getting help immediately could be critical.
"The quicker you can get to treatment the quicker we can save heart muscle and prevent you from dying," said Suzanne Steinbaum.
Lalina Franklin had a stent put into unblock an artery.
"I am definitely lucky to be alive today," said Lalina Franklin, heart patient.
And she says she's never felt better.
Each year in the U.S. more women die of heart disease than men doctors say every woman starting at age 20 needs to have her cholesterol checked and her blood pressure checked.
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