Healthy Heart

"Coronary heart disease is the No. 1 cause of death in the United States. Stroke is the No. 3 cause of death in the United States and a leading cause of serious disability."

Please read this healthy heart article written by a visiting author:

It is a fact that more women die from some form of a heart disease than men do. In America the statistics are stacked against women, at 25% of men and 38% of women.

There is a reason for this unfortunate reality. Women have their heart attacks around 66 years of age but for men heart attacks happen earlier in their fifties. This does not imply that younger women do not ever have heart attacks but it is a less common occurrence.

Strokes for instance can, and do happen to young women. I know a young girl who became disorientated and then collapsed at 34. Since then I have known four women all in their thirties who collapsed from strokes. These women suffered from stress; they may have hormonal imbalance problems; be drinking heavily or on birth control; or all of the above. Cardio vascular health matters regardless of your age.

Warning signs of stroke according to the American Stroke Association are the:

• Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
• Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
• Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
• Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

Women tend to ignore early warning symptoms and doctors often misdiagnose when it comes to heart problems. Some of these symptoms can be vague and easily confused with symptoms of menopause or stress. If you have symptoms similar to those of stress and menopause, get checked out and have an ECG done by a specialist. It is your right to take care of yourself.

I once insisted on an ECG and the doctor found that I was suffering a viral condition that was weakening my heart. Fortunately I recovered from the condition. It helps getting checked early on in the illness.

Some of the Symptoms of Heart Problems:

• unexplained fatigue,
• trouble sleeping,
• shortness of breath,
• indigestion,
• generalized feelings of anxiety and impending doom,
• low-grade pain in the jaw teeth or face,
• A feeling of being too full after meals,
• sweating,
• nausea,
• and dizziness.

I experienced two bad falls at this time.

What to do During an Attack

Other Heart Health Saving Measures

• Give up smoking
• Stop heavy drinking but a tot of Port or wine is good for your heart
• Eat all your yellow and green vegetables
• Cut down on fatty meats and dairy products
• Up you intake of healthy fats you need triglyceride. Low levels of these are linked to increased heart attack risk. I take salmon and evening Primrose oil and I believe I am doing a good thing for myself. (Please click here for more on healthy fats).
• Know your blood pressure. Mine tends to be low, but I am still at risk because of other factors.
• Get adequate exercise, sloth kills......walk. Join the local Walk for life group or go walking around the block, dig in your garden, play sport or visit the gym, do what ever floats your boat.
• Cut down on sugar and if diabetic, keep it under strict control.
• Keep your weight on the healthy zone for you. I will never emphasise this enough.

By the way vitamin E has not been shown to be effective in preventing heart attacks.

About the Author

Melodrama is a visiting author to healthfun-ps and Soso’s blogger-friend. This article is based on her life experiences. Thank you Melodrama.

"As with men, women's most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain."

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