Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States. It accounts for one in four deaths per year. Heart disease is something everyone should take seriously. It’s important for people to recognize the early signs of heart disease and the symptoms of heart disease.
The ways it affects men and women are different. Heart disease in women remains under-diagnosed and under-treated (especially among African-American females). Women should not be afraid to ask open questions with their doctors about medical treatments related to heart disease. Below are some of the ways the sexes are affected by a heart attack.
1. Age: The A man’s chance of suffering
a heart attack increases dramatically once they reach their mid-forties. Women
are unlikely to suffer a heart attack before their mid-sixties. A fifty-year-old
American man has a 50-percent chance of developing heart disease at some point
during the remainder of his life.
“Either we change our ways (especially the United States)or
we will continue to lead the world in heart disease and cancer.” (William
McNamara)
2. Chest Pain: Chest pain is more prevalent in
men. In women, there are other early warning signs to consider such as shortness of
breath, nausea and vomiting, and even back or jaw pain.
3. Cold
Sweats: Unexplained
sweating can be a sign that you are experiencing a heart attack. The problem is
more prevalent in men. Sudden cold sweats are a more prevalent warning sign of
heart attack than chest pain.
4. Different Arteries: In men, it is cholesterol blockages of the
large arteries on the surface of the heart. In women, these blockages occur in
the smaller vessels that feed the muscles on the walls of the heart.
Heart Disease: Small arteries can be silent killers for females. When a man has a heart episode, it’s easier to apply bypass surgeries and stents. With women, the vessels are too small to do any sort of intervention. This means women tend to have worse outcomes than men.
Heart Disease: Small arteries can be silent killers for females. When a man has a heart episode, it’s easier to apply bypass surgeries and stents. With women, the vessels are too small to do any sort of intervention. This means women tend to have worse outcomes than men.
“I saw many people who had advanced heart disease and I
was so frustrated because I knew if they just knew how to do the right thing,
simple lifestyle and diet steps, that the entire trajectory of their life and
health would have been different.” (Dr. Mehmet Oz)
5. Dizziness: This is an early
warning sign
that a heart attack may be under way. Heart beat and blood flow to the brain
can often be affected by the blockage of blood flow. The result can be dizziness or even sudden loss of consciousness.
6. Indigestion
and Stomach Pain: Both men and
women can experience indigestion and
stomach pain during the
early stages of a heart attack. The trick is to look for other symptoms,
including chest pain and dizziness in men and jaw pain or upper back pain in
women.
7. Jaw Pain: Many women who have suffered a
heart attack have pointed to jaw pain as an early warning sign. The condition
is more prevalent in women.
“Be it human or animal, touch is a life-giving thing.
Has anyone ever had a stroke or a heart attack while cozied up with a pet? I
doubt it.” (Robert Breault)
8. Shortness
of Breath: The symptom can
emerge without warning and may leave one feeling unable to breathe deeply. Shortness
of breath can accompany severe chest pain.
9. Stress: In women, stress is caused by emotional
responses. In men, stress is sparked by physical events.
Hormones: Men are more likely than women to suffer a heart attack before age 55. Women going through menopause have an increased risk of heart disease.
Hormones: Men are more likely than women to suffer a heart attack before age 55. Women going through menopause have an increased risk of heart disease.
“She smiled, and there it was again, that aching
pressure in his chest. [Is it] love or a heart attack?
[It’s] kind of the same thing.” (Kristan Higgins)
“When I heard that heart disease kills more women than all cancers
combined... I knew. The other thing that's very important is that heart
disease...is preventable. There are some specific lifestyle changes that women can make: losing weight, not smoking, exercising, eating healthy foods, [and] knowing the risk factors [of] high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, [and being] overweight…
If you have heart disease in your family, you should see your doctor because this disease is preventable.” (Laura Bush) [i]
[i] Sources used:
“4 Ways Heart Disease Affects Men & Women Differently” by
· “5 Dramatic Ways
Women’s and Men’s Heart Attacks Differ” by Candy Sagon
· 10 Differences
in Heart Disease between Women and Men” by James M. Rippe
·
No comments:
Post a Comment