As we exit February—National Heart Month—don’t leave behind this one important fact: Once thought to be a disease of men, heart disease is now the #1 killer of women. This equals about 300,000 deaths per year, statistics not lost on Baby Boomers and older adults.
So it’s important for us to be educated about heart attack symptoms, and to remind ourselves of preventive lifestyle choices to keep our ticker ticking for years to come.
Symptoms
The symptoms of myocardial infarction (heart attack) are different for men vs women. Here are some signs that women are more apt to experience:
- Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort.
- Shortness of breath.
- Pain in one or both arms.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Sweating.
- Lightheadedness or dizziness.
- Unusual fatigue.
- Indigestion.
Unfortunately, women often confuse their symptoms with those of indigestion or just being tired. But if you’re feeling these discomforts, have someone drive you to your local hospital or call 911. If you can get help within the first 3 – 4 hours, you can avoid permanent damage to heart muscles. After 5 – 6 hours, much less heart tissue can be saved. And after 12 hours, the damage is usually irreversible.
Lifestyle Choices
Here are some tips from Scripps Health to help avoid heart attacks:
Healthy habits: Start now; women with healthy lifestyle before age 50 have a better chance of avoiding heart disease. Be sure to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods.
Don’t smoke: It can increase your risk of heart disease by two to four times.
Stay active: As little as 30 minutes of moderate activity can reduce your risk for heart disease.
Skip the soda: Two or more sugar-sweetened beverages daily increase the risk for heart disease.
Drink responsibly: Wine can reduce your risk of dying from heart disease by 25%; moderate drinking means one drink per day for women.
Brush your teeth: Bacteria in your mouth can lead to gum disease, doubling your risk for a heart attack.
Relax: Prolonged exposure to cortisol, the stress hormone, damages arterial lining, making it more difficult for your heart to beat.
And now some quick facts about your heart :
- Your heart beats approximately 100,000 times per day, pumping 2,000 gallons of blood, enough to fill four bathtubs.
- The pumping motion of your heart creates enough energy in one day to drive a truck 20 miles.
- Women have a 15% greater chance of having a heart attack on a Monday than any other day of the week, especially those under age 50.