Understanding risks, symptoms of heart attacks in women
Lori Sepich smoked for years and sometimes skipped taking her blood pressure medicine. But she never thought she无毛视频檇 have a heart attack.
The possibility 无毛视频渏ust wasn无毛视频檛 registering with me,无毛视频� said the 64-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee, who suffered two of them 13 years apart.
She无毛视频檚 far from alone. More than 60 million women in the U.S. live with cardiovascular disease, which includes heart disease as well as stroke, heart failure and atrial fibrillation. And despite the myth that heart attacks mostly strike men, women are vulnerable too.
Overall in the U.S., 1 in 5 women dies of cardiovascular disease each year, 37,000 of them from heart attacks.
Cardiovascular disease is 无毛视频渢he No. 1 killer of women. It will affect you or someone you know,无毛视频� said Dr. Sharonne Hayes, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. 无毛视频淜nowing what to do if you have symptoms of a heart attack and taking action if you do, that无毛视频檚 really important.无毛视频�
Do what you can to prevent heart attacks
There are several ways anyone can reduce their risks.
The American Heart Association has created a list called 无毛视频淟ife无毛视频檚 Essential 8无毛视频�: eat better, quit tobacco, get healthy sleep, be more active, control cholesterol, and manage weight, blood sugar and blood pressure.
Dr. Stacey Rosen, association president, advises getting regular checkups to talk about these preventive measures, keep tabs on your health and discuss any family history of heart problems.
Doctors also suggest discussing risk factors that uniquely or disproportionately affect women.
Women are more likely to have autoimmune conditions like lupus or rheumatoid arthritis, which cause inflammation that can raise heart disease risk. They无毛视频檙e also more likely to suffer from depression, which is associated with inflammation and unhealthy behaviors like staying in bed.
Other conditions associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease are a history of high blood pressure or diabetes while pregnant, miscarriages or stillbirth. Hot flashes and night sweats during menopause have also been linked to a greater risk of high blood pressure and other cardiovascular risk factors.
Be aware that heart attacks don无毛视频檛 happen like they do in the movies
When people think about heart attacks, many envision a middle-aged man suddenly clutching his heart and falling to the ground.
But in reality, Hayes said, 无毛视频渋t无毛视频檚 not going to probably be one of those Hollywood heart attacks.无毛视频�
Chest pain or discomfort is a usual symptom, but far from the only one.
无毛视频淲hat无毛视频檚 different about women is that they are more likely than men to have other symptoms as well,无毛视频� Rosen said.
Those include back pain, shortness of breath, cold sweats, tiredness, nausea, lightheadedness, an anxious feeling, jaw pain and finger tingling.
Experts aren无毛视频檛 sure exactly why symptoms differ between men and women, but some research suggests that physiological differences may play a role.
Another difference: Symptoms may come on a bit more subtly for women than men. Hayes hears a common refrain from patients: 无毛视频淚 got the symptom and it waxed and waned a little bit over time, but I knew something wasn无毛视频檛 right.无毛视频�
Take immediate action if you suspect a heart attack
无毛视频淚f you think that there无毛视频檚 even a chance that you无毛视频檙e having a heart attack, that无毛视频檚 when you call 911,无毛视频� Rosen said, adding that it无毛视频檚 better to 无毛视频渆rr on the side of over-concern than err on the side of minimizing something that could be quite serious.无毛视频�
Doctors recommend taking an ambulance to the hospital, which is more equipped to handle emergency situations than urgent care centers or a doctor无毛视频檚 office.
Any delays in getting the right care could be harmful or even deadly.
无毛视频淚f you wait too long,无毛视频� Rosen said, 无毛视频渢he damage can be more significant.无毛视频�
Don无毛视频檛 be in denial about heart attack symptoms
When Sepich had her first heart attack, she waited too long. She had largely been in denial about her heart problems since being diagnosed with severe, hereditary high blood pressure at 17.
On Easter Sunday 2005, she woke up to extreme chest pressure, nausea and pain radiating down her arms.
无毛视频淚 chose to ignore those signs that day because I was absolutely in shock,无毛视频� she said. 无毛视频淚 was scared.无毛视频�
She attended Mass and a family lunch and went to work the next day. She eventually went to the ER at her doctor无毛视频檚 urging, where she wound up having six stents placed and spending a week in the hospital.
She acted more quickly when she had her second heart attack, and got another stent placed after her cardiologist found a nearly complete blockage in the heart无毛视频檚 biggest artery.
Sepich now keeps her blood pressure under control, hasn无毛视频檛 smoked in more than two decades and exercises almost every day.
She urges other women to be honest with themselves about heart disease.
无毛视频淚 could justify my actions from denial. I could just be like, 无毛视频極h, it无毛视频檚 not gonna hurt you,'无毛视频� Sepich said. 无毛视频淲ell, it does hurt you. It can kill you.无毛视频�
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute无毛视频檚 Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.