Heart disease is the number 1 killer of women. And a woman’s symptoms of heart attack often vary greatly from the classic symptoms that men suffer such as crushing chest pain radiating down the left arm. Women are much more likely to suffer jaw or neck pain, pain between the shoulder blades, or shortness of breath with sweating (heck that’s me every day on my run). There may be stomach or chest pain, but heart attack may also present as fatigue. Speaking as a former coronary care nurse, I can also add “feeling of impending doom” associated with any of the symptoms as a red flag. Don’t be stoic, get to an ER right away and get checked out. Oh, and if you have that feeling of impending doom? Call 911. I personally know a number of women who did and didn’t that suffered heart attacks. Getting medical help pronto saved heart muscle.
But better than getting treatment is prevention. Our pals at University of Florida shared this helpful infographic about the ins and outs of heart disease. Of course, prevention can be boiled down to a few simple interventions. A nurse friend of mine who also happens to be a hospital administrator has her own three point plan: eat well, destress, and keep moving. I couldn’t have said it better.
For more info, click here.