I think the key is to put aside the socialization that has taught women that most of the symptoms are trivial. I have noticed that if I correct a doctor's terminology, they are usually shocked.

An example is when I was last in hospital and I was explaining what was going on with my heart's activity while in extreme pain. I explaining that I was experiencing tachycardia...a rapid heartbeat, followed by several other things that are just too long to write here.

His response was to first call the sequence "palpitations" which may be a nice description but creates this feeling that the patient is a hypochondriac or hysterical. He may as well have told me it was all in my head and I would feel better if I just settled down. When I corrected him, that attitude changed.

To remove fear, do a little research. Learn about the heart, learn about conditions that can affect it. Look at your risk factors and keep those you want, and get rid of those you don't want. Then, be willing to speak a doctor's language. Using medical terminology can slow them down a bit as it catches them off guard!