Protect Yourself Against Heart Attacks

It is a common misconception that only men experience heart attacks. Heart disease is one of the leading killers for men and women. The symptoms may be different for both.

Women are known to show uncommon symptoms of heart attack. More women die of this disease than men because they are not aware that they are already having a heart attack. Based on studies, surgeons believe women are more at risk for dying in heart surgeries than men. But women do not pay much attention to their heart because they are more focused on known women killers such as breast cancer, cervical cancer or ovarian cancer.

Women heart attack are often misdiagnosed when they complain of symptoms such as difficulty breathing, nausea, abdominal pain and fatigue. They are often mistaken for other diseases with similar symptoms. According to Women Heart’s website, about 42 million American women have some sort of cardiovascular disease but are unaware that they are living with it.

The most popular symptom for heart attack is probably chest pain. But this might not be true for all women. The symptoms women should look out for include:

• squeezing, pressure, pain, tightness, fullness or discomfort in the chest that may come and go for a few minutes
• pain or pressure in the shoulders, neck, the back, jaw, arms or stomach
• shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing
• nausea, dizziness or lightheadedness
• difficulty in sleeping
• feeling scared, nervous or anxious
• headache
• stomach pain
• cold sweat

More study regarding women’s heart attack is needed. More women need to learn about the symptoms of heart attack and health providers need more education to avoid wrong diagnosis and so they could provide better treatment

Men on the other hand usually experience the following during or shortly before having a heart attack:

• pain or hard pressure or squeezing in the chest
• pain in the arms, jaw, stomach
• shortness of breath
• nausea
• sweating or cold skin

The symptoms may come subtle but if you feel one or more of the symptoms mentioned above, seek medical help immediately. Call right away. Every second counts. It might save or break your life. A lot of people don’t realize the severity of a heart attack.

The best way to protect yourself against a heart attack, is to keep your heart healthy. Heart attacks happen when something blocks the flow of blood to your heart. So keep away from food that will eventually give you a heart attack like fatty food, salty food and food that’s high in sugar and carbohydrates.