When we think February and hearts, we immediately think about the love and affection that surrounds Valentine’s Day. And, that’s sweet and all but this is a different kind of heart day … Friday, February 6 is National Wear Red Day. This day is meant to draw attention to women’s heart health because each year 1 in 3 women die from heart disease or stroke (and of those cases 80% of them were preventable).
Women Are Different
Let’s face it, as a gender, we are resilient. We create life, give birth, and care for our families when we are sick. We go for YEARS without sleeping through the night because of real and imagined maladies that prey on our children. We either work our tails off inside the home, or outside the home and help keep a family on the physical and emotional right track … and we may or may not be wearing controversial leggings to get it all done. No big deal, right? All in a day’s work.
This is why we don’t always listen to our bodies. We plow through, convince ourselves that a night’s rest will cure us. And, many times it does. But the fact remains that more people die of heart disease than of all other cancers combined. When we think of a heart attack, we think of a man, probably overweight, grasping at his chest as he sweats.
But, heart attacks affect women differently. The signs can be more subtle: Unusual fatigue, dizziness, sweating, neck/jaw/shoulder pain, right arm pain and vomiting are all signs that a woman can be having a heart attack. If women head to the ER with these symptoms, they are less likely to be referred for a cardiac work up than our male counterparts.
My Mother :: The Perfect Example
My mother was a perfect example. She had pressure in her chest and just didn’t feel “right”. After calling her cardiologist, he sent her right to the emergency room. As we arrived at the hospital, my mother explained her symptoms and they agreed on an angiogram to see if there were any blockages in her heart causing the symptoms. The doctor walked into her room to ask her a few questions before the procedure and he pompously cautioned her, “you know, there’s a 50% chance nothing is wrong with you.”
My mother, a nurse by trade, pursed her lips and said “well, there’s a 50% chance something is.” The doctor left and she looked at me and said ”I would put money on something being wrong with me.” After her angiogram the doctor came into the waiting room to update us. “She’s going to be fine, she’s recovering but one of her arteries was 80% blocked.”
Lesson learned.
Women are affected by heart disease in staggering numbers. One in 3 of us die from heart disease or stroke. Heart disease is more likely to kill us than cancer. If we do have a heart attack, we will feel it differently and if we do go to the emergency room, we will be treated differently. We must be our own best advocate when it comes to keeping our heart healthy.
Risk Factors (things you cannot and can change)
There are some risk factors a woman cannot change. We cannot change a family history of heart disease. Some forms of cholesterol are influenced by genetics that may predispose some of us to higher numbers. We cannot change if we carry our weight around our belly, rather than her hips and thighs. But, there are many things we CAN change to decrease our chances of a heart attack or stroke.
Here are some factors that you can change to increase the health of your heart.
- Quit smoking – It should be obvious in this day and age, but just don’t do it. Don’t pick one up. If you have, put it down. Call your doctor to get a prescription for medications that can help you quit smoking. That stuff will kill you but if not, most certainly give you heart disease.
- Eat better – Easier said than done, for sure. Less processed foods, more fruits and vegetables. Less added salts and more plant-based foods. Eating for heart health will not only help prevent obesity, it will also lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, all factors in heart disease.
- Move More – Exercise is a great workout for the heart. It’s so tempting to sit on the bench while the kids are at the park, but get on the swings with them, climb the playscape stairs, try those monkey bars. Increasing your cardiovascular workouts make the heart stronger.
Knowing that women are most likely to die from heart disease or stroke should be enough to motivate us to not only wear red on Friday, but also make at least one positive change that will improve the health of our hearts.
