What you should know…
How much do you know about heart disease? Can you identify signs and symptoms of a heart attack? Do you know what steps you should take to prevent heart disease? If you had trouble answering any of these questions, you are not alone. According to a survey by the American Heart Association, almost half of all American women are not aware that heart disease is their top cause of death.
The differences between the sexes… many women think that heart disease will not affect them so they tend to down play symptoms. Heart disease affects women of all ages, and it affects them differently than it does men.
Why the differences?
One reason is that women have built-in hormone protection in their premenopausal years: Estrogen helps shield women from heart disease by helping to raise good cholesterol levels and lower bad levels. Once a woman reaches menopause, her estrogen levels drop and her heart disease rish rises. Partly because of this, women are about five years older on average than men are when they experience the first heart attack.
Women’s heart attack symptoms are often different from men’s symptoms, so they may deny they are having a heart attack. Women take longer – about a half hour longer to seek help at an emergency room. Consequently, they are also less likely than men to be admitted to the hospital for evaluation of coronary artery disease and tend to be underdiagnosed.
The typical heart attack symptons for women include:
- Chest discomfort or pain
- Upper body pain in the shoulders, arms, back, neck teeth or jaw
- Stomach pain that may feel like indigestion or heartburn that does not go away
- Shortness of breath
- anxiety
- lightheadedness, dissiness and sweating
- nausea and vomiting.
If you see someone experiencing these symptoms, or if you are having them and can still function, act quickly. Call 911 and say: “I think I am having a heart attack.” Do not drive yourself to the hospital. Explain your symptoms to your medical providers to make sure you are being understood – and treated – properly.
by: Tesha Daniels [email protected]
