Heart Disease: No. 1 Killer of Women
Do you believe that males are more prone to heart diseases? Do you consider heart diseases as male dominant diseases? If yes, then you need to check your facts. Although heart disease is considered as a problem for men, more women die each year of heart diseases than men. Infact, the rage has spread so much that heart disease has become the no.1 killer of women. Cancer is disguised to be the most deadly diseases for women and that is the reason why heart and its complications are ignored, which further leads to irremediable heart diseases. It also should be kept in mind that the symptoms for men and women of a heart disease are somewhat different. Fortunately, women can take steps to understand their unique symptoms of heart disease and can begin with alternatives to reduce the risk.
Talking about the most common heart attack symptoms in women is some type of pain, pressure or discomfort in the chest. But unlike men, it’s not always severe or even the most prominent symptom for women. Queerly, women may have a heart attack even without chest pains! Some of the symptoms which men and women have common in them for detecting the disease are-
- Neck, jaw, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Right arm pain
- Nausea or vomiting
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- Unusual fatigue
According to cardiologists, these symptoms can be more subtle than the obvious crushing chest pain, often associated with heart attacks. Women’s symptoms may transpire more often when women are resting or even when they are asleep. Mental stress also may trigger heart attack symptoms in women. Women tend to show up in emergency rooms after heart damage has already occurred because their symptoms are not those which are typically associated with a heart attack and this is because women tend to downplay their symptoms. Some of the highly risky factors which might play a bigger role in the development of heart disease in women are as follows-
- Diabetes increases the risk of heart disease significantly more in women than in men.
- Metabolic syndrome — a combination of fat around your abdomen, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and high triglycerides — has a greater impact on women than on men.
- Mental stress and depression affect women’s hearts more than men’s. Depression makes it difficult to maintain a healthy lifestyle and follow recommended treatment, so talk to your doctor if you’re having symptoms of depression.
- Smoking is a greater risk factor for heart disease in women than in men.
- A lack of physical activity is a major risk factor for heart disease, and as a group, women tend to be less active than men.
- Low levels of oestrogen after menopause pose a significant risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease in the smaller blood vessels (micro-vascular disease).
- Pregnancy complications such as high blood pressure or diabetes during pregnancy can increase a woman’s long-term risk of high blood pressure and diabetes and increase the risk of development of heart disease in both the mother and in her children.
For those who thought that this disease is confined only to the women aged 65 and above, start paying close attention to your health, now onwards! This perilous disease has its effects on women of all ages and especially, on those who have a family history of heart diseases.
So all the girls and ladies out there, start caring for yourself more from today onwards, visit a doctor to know the changes you should bring in your lifestyle to reduce the risk of heart diseases and be safe! KNOW YOUR HEART, LOVE YOUR HEART, TAKE CARE OF YOUR HEART, BECA– USE YOU HAVE MANY TO CARE FOR!
————
About the Author: This article is contributed by Atima Dhall, our intern. Atima is an under-graduate from Shyama Prasad Mukherjee college, Delhi University. She aims to conquer the world with her writing and sights at instigating people to differentiate between black and white,i.e. justice and bigotry. With immense optimism and buoyancy, she scrutinizes her society and intends to work for its betterment through her writing.
