Even today there is still much misinformation on heart attacks and women. Men are not the only heart attack victims. According to the American Heart Association (AHA) the number of women who are 55 and younger and die from a heart attack is comparable to the number who die from breast cancer. While women can experience many of the same symptoms as men, they also have symptoms which are not always associated with heart attacks. This means women may not always receive the proper care or seek medical help quickly enough. Recognizing the different symptoms and situations women face is an important step, along with healthy lifestyle changes.
Step 1
Adopt healthy lifestyle changes. Realize that you need to take care of yourself along with juggling care-giving for family members with work. The National Institutes of Health suggests that to help prevent heart disease, women need to eat right, exercise, quit smoking and manage stress. If you have diabetes, you need to take extra care as this places you at an even higher risk of a heart attack.
Step 2
Keep your diet low in cholesterol and fat and only consume enough calories to maintain a healthy weight. Your total cholesterol should not be above 200 mg/dl. Talk to your doctor about a healthy caloric intake based on your age and activity level. Eat a wide variety of foods with plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Step 3
Have your blood pressure checked regularly. You can have high blood pressure without symptoms. In addition, you should aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise on most days of the week. This includes walking, running, dancing, swimming or biking. Housework does not fall into this category because it does not elevate your heart rate high enough.
Step 4
Be aware of your family history. While you cannot change some factors, such as age you can make healthier life style choices. Visit the MyPyramid website (see Resources) where you can design an online plan to help you eat a more healthy diet and exercise more regularly.
Tips and Warnings
- Get regular checkups and know your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. If you know you are at risk, you can take steps to lower both and reduce your chances of a heart attack.
- Learn to recognize heart attack symptoms. The warning signs include not just the typical chest pain, but also pain in the jaw, shoulder or back. Women may experience sweating, nausea, shortness of breath, indigestion, heartburn and feeling weakness or very tired. Get help immediately if you experience the above symptoms. The sooner you are treated for a heart attack the better your chances for recovery.
