Subtle Signs Of Heart Disease In Women


by Amber Danice - Date: 2008-12-07 - Word Count: 490 Share This!

Heart disease symptoms women experience can be misleading, especially when contrasted to the classic symptoms most men experience.
Classic heart disease symptoms that have often been defined for both men and women include shortness of breath, sweating, and chest pain or pressure. Also, pain that radiates from the shoulders, to the neck, and to the arms, tightness in your chest, and heartburn or indigestion are also classic signs. Dizziness and short losses of consciousness can happen as well.
Women, on the other hand, may experience signs of heart disease in a much different way when contrasted to men. If a woman does have a heart attack, it may seem to come on unexpectedly because the symptoms leading up to a heart attack can be so much more subtle in women.
Unexplained fatigue and weakness are often contributing factors to heart disease. Symptoms women experience can also include discomfort and pain between the shoulder blades that is often thought to be sore muscles or tension. Women also have reported gas, indigestion, dizziness, and nausea and vomiting as symptoms they were having prior to a heart attack, which they would sometimes associate with anxiety.
Women can have these unusual symptoms for weeks, months, and sometimes years before the heart attack actually takes place. The National Institute of Health did a study and demonstrated that the majority of women realize that something isn't right before they have a heart attack. They are experiencing unusual symptoms such as fatigue, sleep upset, and shortness of breath, but they do not realize that these can be symptoms of heart disease. What's more, less than a third of all women ever experience chest pain, which has been long associated as a primary symptom of a heart attack.
Women often will disregard heart disease symptoms as a common stress factor, ache, or pain, not realizing that they can be deadly. Medical attention may seem unnecessary, as the symptoms may seem mild and not too bad.
One solution to cut down your risk for heart disease will be to talk to your doctor and get regular check ups. Make sure that your cholesterol levels and blood pressure are within proper ranges, and if you are more at risk for developing heart disease, then ask for further tests from you doctor. Most importantly, let your doctor know if you suddenly begin to have disturbing symptoms that may make no sense. Be safe rather than sorry.
Your lifestyle is also important in reducing your risk for heart disease. In addition to talking to your doctor, you need to take an honest look at your lifestyle and make sure you are eating right, exercising regularly, maintaining a healthy weight, and cutting out the sabotaging effects of smoking, drinking, and saturated fats. Make some healthy changes now and continue to educate yourself about heart disease. Being able to identify symptoms of heart disease that women have may just be the thing that saves you or a loved one's life.

Related Tags: health, wellness, heart disease, lifestyle, womens health, health and wellness, disease prevention, heart attacks, heart health, health education, women and heart disease

Amber Danice has dedicated many years to health field. Are you able to recognize the symptoms of heart disease? Visit her blog for some useful heart disease articles and tips on how to prevent a heart attack.

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