Healthy+5Winterspring2024spreadsfinal - Flipbook - Page 11
“One of the challenges of heart disease and heart attacks is that
the signs can be far more subtle in women than in men. Unlike the
‘elephant sitting on your chest feeling’ that’s common in men and
hard to ignore, women sometimes experience nausea, upper back
pain, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath. It’s much easier to
mis-attribute those signs to other things and, unfortunately, delay
getting critical care.”
–Scott Rogge, MD, SVMC Cardiology
your risks. While chest pain, pressure, and discomfort are
often indicators of heart trouble in women, it’s important
that all women learn to recognize the other potential signs
and take them seriously.
Common signs of heart disease in women:
• Pain or discomfort in the neck, jaw, shoulder, upper
back, or upper belly
• Shortness of breath
• Pain in one or both arms
• Nausea or vomiting
• Sweating
• Lightheadedness or
dizziness
• Unusual fatigue and
feeling of fogginess, often
lasts for days or weeks
Compared to
men, women
tend to have
symptoms more
often when
resting, or even
when asleep.
• Heartburn or indigestion
• Chest pain
One thing working in women’s favor is estrogen, which
actually helps prevent heart disease. However, after
menopause, that advantage disappears.
In addition to menopause, other uniquely female
conditions and events—pre-term pregnancy and polycystic
ovarian syndrome, for example—have the potential to
further increase a woman’s risk of developing heart
disease.
Concerning risk factors include:
• Diabetes
• Stress and depression
• Smoking
• Pregnancy complications
• Family history of early heart disease
• Inflammatory diseases (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus,
polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, etc.)
• Delivering a baby pre-term
Begin lowering your risks today
Changing your habits and lifestyle is never easy but doing
so can make a huge difference in the quality of your life
tomorrow and for years to come. And remember, you don’t
have to go it alone. Tap into the following resources for help
making the changes you need to boost your heart health.
Quit Smoking:
Find free in-person or virtual counseling, tools for quitting,
and more. See page 21 for a comprehensive list of available
smoking cessation resources.
Exercise:
Move More Together At-Home Workouts
A free streaming series from the American Heart Association
heart.org/en/healthy-living/fitness
Diabetes Management:
A no-cost lifestyle change program from the American
Diabetes Association designed to reduce diabetes risk and
manage diabetes safely
projectpowerapp.diabetes.org/enrollment/
High Blood Pressure:
Tips for tracking and managing your blood pressure from
the American Heart Association
heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/changes-youcan-make-to-manage-high-blood-pressure ■
• Inactivity
• Being post-menopausal
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