My Heart is Beating

By: ashu

Most of us like to think that heart disease as something that only affects men. But the truth is far removed from it. Women are equally vulnerable to heart attack and they succumb to it too.

Facts

1.A woman's chances of developing heart disease soar after she goes through menopause.

2.Women who have a heart attack are less likely than men to survive the initial event.

3.If they survive they are more at risk of dying within the following year.

4.More women than men will suffer a second heart attack within six years after their first heart attack.

Risk Factor

1.Apart from the traditional risk factors for coronary artery disease such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity certain other factors too playa bigger role in the development of heart disease in women.

2.Metabolic syndrome a combination of increased blood pressure, elevated blood glucose and triglycerides has a greater impact on women than men.

3.Mental stress and depression affect women's hearts more than men's.

4.Smoking harms women more than men. Moreover, if you smoke while being on oral contraceptive pill, it multiplies your risk of heart disease 30 times than in normal circumstances.

5.Post menopause, women have increased chances of having a heart attack.

Women are from Venus

Men and women hearts accumulate the artery busting plaque differently. Recent studies on cardiovascular health in women have come with the findings that the traditional angiogram may not be equipped enough to detect the uniform fatty layer of plaque in women's arteries, unlike the irregular deposit of plaque in their male counterparts. Men and women respond differently to the clot busting medication. Moreover their symptoms differ too. We all know the regular chest wrenching pain- angina but many women may skip that and still have an attack.

Symptoms

1. Neck, shoulder, upper back or abdominal discomfort.

2.Shortness of breath.

3.Nausea and vomiting.

4.Sweating

5.Light adedness or dizziness

6.Exceptional fatigue.

Save your Heart

1.Undertake regular medical check-ups.

2.Quit smoking.

3.Lower high blood pressure.

4.Reduce high blood cholesterol.

5.Aim for a healthy weight.

6.Be physically active each day.

7.Take a healthy diet.

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Alien is a freelance writer with more than 25 years experience as a health care professional. He is a contributing editor to home remedies . Check out this site for more information on women health