What Every Woman Should Know About Her Heart

The CDC reports that heart disease killed 289,758 females in 2013. Heart disease awareness is essential to women because most women do not realize that their risk of heart disease is approximately the same as men. Let's take a look at what every woman should know about her heart.

The symptoms of heart disease

The first thing a woman should understand is that she may experience no symptoms at all. Others may experience pain in the upper abdomen, back, neck, jaw or chest. This pain can occur while at rest, when stressed or during physical activity. Heart disease can be silent and may not be diagnosed until she has a heart attack, stroke, arrhythmia or heart failure. The symptoms of these include:

• Chest pain


• Heartburn


• Fatigue


• Shortness of breath


• Palpitations


• Edema


• Paralysis, numbness


• Confusion


• Vision problems


• Severe headache


• Loss of balance


• Loss of consciousness

The risk factors of heart disease in women

There are several lifestyle choices and medical conditions that can increase the risk of heart disease in women. High cholesterol levels, smoking and high blood pressure can also increase the risk of heart disease. In addition to these, being obese, a sedentary lifestyle, excess alcohol consumption, diabetes and a poor diet can lead to heart problem.

How to minimize your risk and protect your heart

Exercise – Every woman should aim to get at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week. Moderate exercise includes dancing, swimming, cycling and walking. These activities use the larger muscles at low resistance. You want the activity to increase your heart rate and respiration rate. This type of physical activity helps to strengthen your heart.

Hormones – When a woman is going through menopause, estrogen levels typically decrease. Low estrogen levels can cause your arteries to become stiffer. Along with the decrease in estrogen, menopausal women often experience increased blood pressure and bad cholesterol. Luckily, there are several things a woman can do to lower the effects of menopause on the heart. This includes getting regular exercise, quitting smoking, eating a healthy diet and limiting the consumption of alcohol.

Cholesterol – Unhealthy cholesterol levels can lead to heart disease. Luckily, there are several things you can do to lower your cholesterol levels . First, get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise each week. You also should change your diet by consuming fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Limit the amount of sugar, sodium and fats you eat to help reduce your cholesterol levels.

Broken heart syndrome – Broken heart syndrome, also known as stress-induced cardiomyopathy occurs when stress hormones are suddenly released due to a traumatic or emotional event like a death or a divorce. Broken heart syndrome causes an area of the heart to enlarge and prevent blood from pumping efficiently. The pain of this condition is typically intense. When you are experiencing stress-induced cardiomyopathy, you will experience sudden shortness of breath and chest pain following severe stress. The EKG will show abnormalities that are similar to a heart attack; however, there are no obstructions in the coronary artery.

SCAD – Spontaneous coronary artery dissection occurs when a blood vessel in your heart tears. This can slow down or block blood flow to the heart and cause heart rhythm abnormalities, a heart attack or sudden death. According to the National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease, women who have recently given birth, those with extremely high blood pressure, those with lupus and extreme physical exertion can increase the risk of SCAD.

Stop smoking – Stopping smoking is one of the best things that you can do to protect your heart. Cigarette smoking has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease. When you smoke, the lining of your arteries become damaged and can lead to atherosclerosis. In addition to this, smoking increases blood pressure and decreases oxygen. Both of these make the heart pump harder. Finally, smoking increases the risk of blood clots, which can lead to a stroke or a heart attack.

Get enough sleep – When you are not getting enough sleep, your body releases inflammatory cytokines and stress hormones which can increase blood pressure and glucose levels. Aim to get between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. In order to help you get enough healthy sleep, you should practice good sleep habits that include turning off electronics a couple of hours before bedtime, avoiding caffeinated and alcoholic beverages near bedtime and going to bed at the same time each night.

Many women do not realize that the primary cause of death is heart disease. Understanding how diet, exercise and stress can affect the health of your heart is paramount to leading a healthy life. Stop smoking, get enough sleep and eat a healthy diet to lower your cholesterol levels and protect your heart. Finally, talk to your doctor to learn about your risk factors and how to improve your heart health.