Heart Health For Women
World Heart Day is on the 29 September 2020, and there are some important things women need to know.
Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is often thought of as a ‘Man’s Disease’, but did you know that CVD is the number 1 killer of women? One woman dies every minute of heart disease and in South Africa, the proportion of CVD deaths in women aged between 35–59 years is one and a half times higher than that of women in the United States.
The symptoms of a heart attack are not the same in women and they are in men. Many women believe their symptoms are due to the flu, acid reflux or just normal ageing. By learning your unique heart disease symptoms, you as a woman can reduce your risks.
“Many women think the signs of a heart attack are unmistakable – crushing chest pain — but they can be subtler and sometimes confusing,” says ER doctor, Mark Goldberg. “Some women experiencing a heart attack describe upper back pressure that feels like squeezing, dizziness, light-headedness or fainting are other symptoms to look for.”
Women are more likely than men to have heart attack symptoms unrelated to chest pain, such as:
- Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal pain or tension
- Shortness of breath
- Pain in one or both arms
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sweating
- Light-headedness or dizziness
- Unusual fatigue
- Indigestion
Women tend to have symptoms more often when resting, or even when asleep, than men do. Because many women don’t always recognise their symptoms as a heart attack, they tend to go to their doctors or hospitals after heart damage has already happened.
Women of all ages should take heart disease seriously. Women under age 65-especially those with a family history of heart disease-also need to pay close attention to heart disease risk factors.
High cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity all affect both women and men. But other factors can play a bigger role in the development of heart disease in women.
Heart disease risk factors for women include:
- Diabetes
- Emotional stress and depression
- Smoking
- Inactivity
- Menopause
- Family history of heart disease
All women need to have regular screening tests for diabetes, cholesterol, and have their blood pressure and weight measured regularly.
What can women do to reduce their risk of heart disease?
Living a healthy lifestyle can help reduce the risk of heart disease:
- Quit smoking
- Exercise regularly
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Eat a healthy diet
- Exercise
- Manage your stress
- Follow your treatment plan
- Manage other health conditions
If you have symptoms of a heart attack or think you’re having one, call for emergency medical help immediately. Don’t drive yourself to the emergency room unless you have no other options.
Every woman can take steps every day toward a more heart-healthy lifestyle. The first step is to speak to your doctor for regular blood pressure, cholesterol and cardiac testing.
Contact us today on 0861 GOLIFE (465433) or SMS 43821 for information, guidance and support for the health of your heart.