Know your heart

March 15th, 2016

Do you know a woman who has suffered a stroke or heart attack? I don't. I do know many women who have battled breast cancer. I guess that's why it comes as a shocker to learn that heart disease is the number one killer among women. For many of us, heart attacks are what happen to older men. Most of the research has used men and the results reflect this. You have an expectation of what heart attacks look like, based on this gender-biased research: sudden chest pain and difficulty breathing. The thing is, for women, a heart attack can feel more like indigestion, a pain in the back or arm, discomfort in the jaw, flu-like symptoms or fatigue. For some women, there are no symptoms other than the persistent fatigue. They consult their doctor and discover they have had a heart attack.

I only know half my family history so it's a little unsettling for me to not know if this runs in that part of my family, especially since I once read that african-americans were more at risk of cardio-vasculaire disease than caucasians. I do not smoke, I am not diabetic and my blood pressure is low but I am not consistently physically active, my cholesterol levels are high and I have gained weight, mostly in my midsection.

So, what can I do to reduce my risk? Exercise and eat healthy food. The goal is not a short-term diet but sustainable, healthy food habits. I can work on reducing my stress levels and floss my teeth. Letting plaque accumulate in your gums contributes to the presence of plaque in your blood stream. I can also make time for friends. Feeling loved and supported reduces stress levels, so does playing with the dog or having fun with my kids.

Another unfortunate factor that contributes to the death of women due to heart disease is that we ignore the symptoms, we deny that we are having a heart attack because we don't have time to deal with it, it's just not a good time. Check out the video by Elizabeth Banks on www.goredforwomen.org. I could relate to Elizabeth as she plays a mom with children and work responsibilities who is trying to get everything done, multi-tasking and gulping coffee. When symptoms occur, she ignores them and just pushes through. Her son and husband notice something is wrong but she denies it. It's a great way to raise awareness about the need to take care of ourselves, not just our loved ones.

There's more information about the symptoms of stroke out there. I have witnessed a lady having a TIA (transient ischemic attack) when I worked in long term care.  When you are having a stroke, you may notice half of your body losing its muscle tone, your face looks like it's drooping, your arm goes loose and you are unable to pull it back up, your leg loses the ability to stand so you fall, your vision could become blurry, you may be unable to speak or what you say makes no sense. It is really important to call 911 immediately if someone has these symptoms. The TIA is a smaller scale episode that is often a precursor to strokes. Residents who had TIAs were more likely to recover quickly and not have long term impairments. The same habits that increase your risk of heart disease also increase your risk of stroke.

I don't know about you but I am motivated to eat right, exercise, drink water and manage my stress. How about you?

Anne Walsh
www.artnsoul.org