| Can it be breast cancer or even lung cancer? It sure is | | | | having a heart attack and need medical assistance. |
| some of the most feared diseases a women can | | | | Women also have a higher tolerance for cardiac pain |
| think of, but is it the biggest killer of women above 50 | | | | and will thus not experience it as agonising as men. |
| years old? | | | | This might sound all well, but it's not as it might mean |
| Surprisingly research and statistics reveals that cancer | | | | that women with chest pain will not be treated as |
| is not the culprit in this case, no heart disease takes | | | | aggresively as in the case with men. |
| the credit for this one. We often think of ourselves as | | | | REDUCE YOUR RISK NOW!!Although you can not |
| being invulnerable to heart attacks and strokes, but if | | | | control your age, gender and family history, there are |
| you are a woman in the menopausal stage of your life, | | | | many other factors that you can control in order to |
| then now is the time to pay attention. | | | | reduce your risk of getting heart diseases. You can |
| According to research, women sure has a very | | | | surely change your lifestyle and your social behaviour. |
| definable advantage over men in terms of heart | | | | Making the right lifestyle changes can decrease your |
| diseases, but we sure catch up very quickly and by | | | | risk of heart disease by as much as 50% within 10 |
| the age of 65 have the same risk of having a heart | | | | years. Here are some of the most important changes: |
| attack, stroke or any other coronary disease as men | | | | 1. Stay on top of your health |
| do. Shockingly by this age, us women has a greater | | | | It is extremely important to get yearly checkups in |
| risk of dying from it. | | | | order to identify potential threats and problems. It is |
| As the physiological working and differences between | | | | very important to have your blood pressure checked |
| men and women's hearts are only being studied now, it | | | | and to do a cholesterol screen. It is also very important |
| has became clear that these differences are literally | | | | should you suffer from diabetes or high blood pressure |
| killing us.We discuss the reasons: | | | | to monitor it closely and keep it within normal limits. This |
| 1. Women's symptoms are different | | | | will help your body to cope with all the stresses and to |
| A women can never be sick as they have to always | | | | have a more healthy lifestyle and ultimately live longer. |
| be ready for the husband, the children and for | | | | 2. Stop smoking! |
| themselves, thus they sometimes might feel a bit | | | | Everyone knows that smoking is bad for your health |
| "under the weather" and can easily mistake these as | | | | and it is very hard on your body. This is even worse |
| normal aging or just being exhausted. Many times | | | | for women than for men, but we won't tell them that |
| cardiac disease is being missed as a women's | | | | else they think they have reason to continue smoking. |
| symptoms of cardiomyopathy is different and more | | | | Statistics shows that women that smokes has a much |
| subtle. They might have the classic symptoms which | | | | higher risk of heart disease much sooner than those |
| are known by the dooming chest pain and the all | | | | that don't smoke. |
| known pain down the left arm, but not always as they | | | | 3. Diet and exercise |
| can sometimes have minimal discomfort and no chest | | | | I know it's that ugly word again.... diet!! If it was easy |
| pain at all. Women will usually notice the following when | | | | then all of us would be thin and fit, but it's not. Moving |
| there is an underlying heart disease: | | | | around more and getting used to a low fat diet are |
| - Profound fatigue | | | | both things that can easily be controlled and managed |
| - Difficulty breathing | | | | and it will add years to your life. |
| - Feeling dizzy | | | | 4. Dont's stress, be happy |
| - Nausea | | | | Stress and depression are quite tough on your heart |
| - Vomiting | | | | and have adverse effects on your life. Always try to |
| - Having an impending feeling of doom | | | | reduce your stress and enjoy a healthy lifestyle as this |
| - Profuse sweating | | | | will ease some of the pressure on your heart. |
| - Pain or discomfort in the neck, shoulder blade or | | | | 5. Take aspirin |
| upper back | | | | Aspirin can be very good to reduce the load on your |
| - Burning abdominal pain | | | | heart, but should only be taken after a consultation with |
| 2. Treatment and response to treatment | | | | your practitioner. Aspirin can also be a very deadly |
| When a women has been diagnosed with a heart | | | | medication during a stroke as it is an anticoagulant and |
| disease or having a heart attack, they are treated with | | | | will cause the sufferer to have continuous bleeding. |
| different medication as men. When women are | | | | Always consult your practitioner before using any new |
| treated for cardiac disease, the medication used may | | | | or long term medication. |
| not work as effective with women as with men. It has | | | | 6. Never forget your roots |
| been found that some anticoagulants just works better | | | | It is always advisable to know what diseases were |
| for men than women. | | | | prominent in your family history. Knowing this can help |
| 3. Diagnosing heart diseases | | | | you and your physician to plan the best treatmant and |
| Normal testing procedures like the treadmill, stress test | | | | lifestyle based on your risk factor. Prevention is better |
| and angiography that are usually used to diagnose | | | | than cure did my mom always use to say, and I am |
| heart diseases are not helpful at all to diagnose | | | | sticking to it. |
| women's heart disease. An angiogram is used to | | | | 7. Education, education and education |
| determine the health of blood vessels, but in women a | | | | Educating yourself on any subject is the best weapon |
| vessel that has a significant plaque lining will show up | | | | to fight anything. Always read about your health and |
| clear and thus give false information. This happens | | | | the stages of your life in order to know what to be |
| when the plaque lining has not yet intruded into the | | | | careful of, what to prevent and what is normal and |
| vessel. | | | | what not. This way you will immediately notice if |
| 4. Women "tough it out" | | | | something is abnormal. When you have learned about |
| No one ever want to admit that they are having a | | | | it, spread the word and warn all your family and |
| heart attack and usually try to convince themselves if | | | | friends, they will thank you for it and you might save |
| they have symptoms of a heart attack that it is | | | | their life. Let's help each other stay healthy. |
| probably just indigestion or heartburn. Women has the | | | | And now, repeat after me: I am IRREPLACEABLE!! |
| tendency to minimize the discomfort of a cardiac pain | | | | Now believe it and live like you mean it. |
| and will thus wait long before admitting that they are | | | | |