- heart disease kills more people than all cancers combined
- more women than men die from a first heart attack
- women are less likely to get the treatment they need for heart disease
- women of color are at higher risk of developing heart disease and receiving inadequate treatment than Caucasian women
- women may have different symptoms than men and may not recognize a cardiac problem when it occurs
Women, as we age, are as likely as men to develop heart disease. Unfortunately, most of the medical information is based on studies done primarily on men. Treatment options are based on how men respond to them but women often do not have the same response as men to treatment. We are not just smaller versions of men. We are very different physiologically and therefore may find that treatment options don’t work for us the same way.
Women are also more likely to die from their first heart attack than men are. This is for a few reasons. First, the symptoms may be vague or may resemble another condition like indigestion, stress, fatigue, to name a few. Studies show that many women who suffer heart attacks had no prior symptoms.
Minority women are at even higher risk than Caucasian women, also for a few reasons. If they live in an economically challenged environment, they may have little to no access to quality healthcare. If they are the sole caregiver to their family, they may ignore symptoms until it’s too late. Their risk factors are often higher also due to cultural norms such as traditional food choices and larger body types.
Because women often do not have the classic heart attack symptoms we have come to expect like extreme pressure or pain in the chest, jaw and/or arm, shortness of breath, profuse sweating and loss of consciousness, a cardiac event is often mischaracterized as something else by not only the patient but also the medical community. If a young, fit woman shows up in the ER presenting with symptoms such as fatigue, shortness of breath, vague pressure or pain in the upper body, she will very possibly be sent home with a prescription for anti-anxiety meds or told to minimize the stress in her life.
Some of the symptoms women should be aware of are:
- extreme, unexplained fatigue
- unexplained nausea or vomiting
- pain between the shoulder blades
- burning or tingling across the upper chest
- pain or heaviness in either arm
- jaw pain or pressure
- dizziness or disorientation
- slurred speech
The bottom line is…know your body and if you think something is wrong, it probably is. Do not allow yourself to be dismissed. You deserve to be heard and taken seriously. Your life may depend on it.
Are you dreading the holidays, knowing that you won’t be able to wear the same clothes on New
Years that you wore at the beginning of the feeding frenzy we call the holiday season? Are you worried that you might undo all the good you have done recently for your health? Do you think you might go off the rails with your food choices? Do the holidays get really stressful and cause you to make food choices that may not be very healthy?
If any of the above scares you, I can help you get through the next two months with my Healthy Holidays program. And you won’t even have to leave the comfort of your home.
I am offering SPECIAL PRICING until THURSDAY 11/21 for anyone who signs up by then. The regular price of this program is $297 but until 11/21, the price is only $247…that’s a $50 savings!
If you would like to have a free consultation about the Healthy Holidays program, click here to schedule a no strings attached call.
