Did you know that HEART DISEASE and STROKES are the NUMBER ONE killer in WOMEN?? Causing nearly 1 in 3 deaths each years? That comes out to almost one woman dying every minute?!? To break that down a little farther heart attacks claim the lives of 3.3 million women annually, while strokes claim 3.2 million annually. The good news in all this, is that 80 percent of all cardiac events (strokes included) can be prevented with education and lifestyle changes.
That being said many people don’t know that heart disease is a problem for women, because most of the time we only hear of men having heart problems. We often hear of them complaining of the traditional signs and symptoms of a heart attack. While most people have no idea that the signs of heart attack are very different in women. They may not know that women may not have crushing chest pains or pain shooting down their left arm. Instead hey may be extra tired or have vague complaints of upper abdominal pain and/or nausea. So it’s important for women to know what to be on the lookout for as far as symptoms go for both heart attack and stroke.
February 1st was National Wear Red Day and the whole month of age February is American Heart Health Month! Why red, you might ask? Red is worn to remind people, especially women, to focus on heart health. February is Women’s Heart Health Month! So that’s what I want to mainly on today. As well as this month by sharing some women’s heart health stories! Today I mainly want to focus on signs and symptoms of heart attacks and stroke in women. While providing information on when someone should seek medical attention .
Signs and Symptoms of Heart Attack:
If you have any of these signs, call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
- As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
Signs and Symptoms of Stroke:
If you have any of these signs, call 9-1-1 and get to a hospital right away.
- If you develop sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
- You have sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
- Sudden trouble seeing or blurred vision in one or both eyes.
- If you develop sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause.
As February continues I will be sharing other kinds and causes of heart disease, as well as the stories of women who have been diagnosed with heart disease! I also want to give you ladies more information on how we can change our diets to help decrease our risks for developing heart disease.
If you would like more information on women’s heart month you can visit the American Heart Association.
With Love,
Amber
