Heart Disease in Women

A lot of people think that women do not get heart disease. More women die from heart disease than from anything else. Any woman can get heart disease. When you think about heart disease, you probably think about chest pain. Women might not have chest pain. If they do, they might call it an achy, tight or heavy feeling instead of pain. The pain might even be in the back between the shoulder blades instead of in the chest. Women might think these signs are no big deal because they don't sound like a heart attack. Don't ignore these signs. Go to your doctor or clinic right away. The most important sign is feeling really tired even after getting enough sleep. Other signs of heart disease in women are trouble breathing, trouble sleeping, feeling sick to the stomach, feeling scared or nervous, new or worsen headaches and ache in the chest, feeling heavy or tight in the chest or a burning feeling in the chest, pain in the back between the shoulders, pain or tightness in the chest that spreads to the jaw, neck, shoulders, ear or the inside of the arms. Pain in the belly above the belly button.

But there is good news. You can take steps to keep your heart healthy. Find out if heart disease runs in your family. Visit your doctor or clinic often. You might need medicine to keep it at the right level. Control your diabetes. Get your cholesterol checked often. Stay active. Walking every day can lower your chances of a heart attack. Eat right and keep a healthy diet. Eat less salt. Being stressed, angry or sad a lot may add to your risk of heart attack. If you have a heart attack, talk to your doctor about medicine. Some medicines can help cut down the risk of having another attack. High blood pressure adds to the chance of having high heart disease. High blood pressure is called the silent killer. Most people who have it do not feel sick and don't know that they have it. Have your blood pressure checked each time you go to the doctor or clinic.