Heart disease is the #1 killer of women in America. 1 in every 4 women will die of heart disease.
But the good news is that 80% of heart attacks and strokes are preventable.
Here are 6 ways you can be heart smart:
- Don’t smoke- smoking increases your risk by damaging the lining of your arteries
- Exercise regularly- staying active helps keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels lower
- Eat a Mediterranean diet- plant-based with lots fo brightly colored produce, beans, whole grains, healthy fats, nuts and seeds and fish
- Know your stats- healthy range for blood pressure is less than 120/80, HDL cholesterol is above 60 mg/dL and a1c range is 4-5.6%
- Lower your stress levels- try yoga, meditation or massage to help reduce your stress
- Increase your quality of sleep- aim for 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep
Taking these steps will improve your heart health and reduce your risk of heart disease. Only half of the female population recognize that heart disease is their #1 killer.
Now that you know how to prevent it, it’s also important to recognize the symptoms of a heart attack and stroke.
Heart Attack Symptoms in Women:
- Pain in the shoulders, neck, jaw, upper back or arms
- Unexplained dizziness, light-headedness or fainting
- Shortness of breath or trouble breathing without chest discomfort
- Clammy sweating like when you are stressed
- Stomach pain, abdominal pressure or nausea
- Unusual weakness or fatigue
Stroke Symptoms in Women:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side
- Sudden confusion or trouble speaking
- Sudden trouble seeing
- Difficulty walking, dizziness or los of balance
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
- Common complaints among women without any of the above symptoms are fainting or loss of consciousness, difficulty breathing, pain and seizures
Symptoms are often different for women than men, so it is so important to learn them for yourself and your loved ones.
Larry Goldstein, MD, a neurologist at Duke University was quoted on WebMD,
“Women tend to have more symptoms that are very vague, so it’s hard to ascribe them to stroke. And if it’s not promptly diagnosed as stroke, it won’t be treated as a stroke. If a woman tends to have a lot of headaches and she comes in with another headache, why would you even begin to think it’s a stroke?”
We, as women, are notorious for not making a big deal about our ailments. We always have other people and other things to take of.
That needs to stop. We need to start addressing our health and making it our number one priority.
You need your heart to live and to love. Take care of it!
Reference: https://www.webmd.com/women/news/20070208/stroke-symptoms-differ-women#1