The heart of a woman: How to recognize heart attack symptoms in women – The Southern

MARION — Heart health problem in women is a severe problem that is under-diagnosed and under-treated, according to Dr. Victor Mwansa of River to River Heart Group.

“Heart health problem is the number one killer of women, not also breast cancer beats it,” Dr. Mwansa said. “Women have the tendency to present along with atypical symptoms.”

For women, symptoms of a heart attack can easily be sweating (diaphoresis), shortness of breath, nausea or jaw and arm pain. They don’t have actually the feeling of crushing chest ache that men regularly experience.

As a result, they have the tendency to wait much longer to seek medical care. By the moment they come to the hospital, diagnosis has actually been delayed. Due to the fact that diagnosis is delayed, treatment is delayed.

“As soon as you take them to cath lab, they have the tendency to have actually smaller sized arteries,” Dr. Mwansa said. “They have the tendency to present later in age which means they have actually much more calcifications in their arteries and much more complications.”

In America today, regarding 6 million women have actually heart attacks per year. Dr. Mwansa, along along with the American Heart Association and American College of Cardiology, prefers women and their physicians to understand the risk factors and symptoms heart attacks.

Diabetes, smoking and hypertension are the biggest risk factors, along along with inadequate diet, little to no workout and a family history of coronary artery disease. Smoking while taking oral contraceptives substantially improves the risk of a heart attack, Mwansa said. Some downfalls can easily be uncovered via book blood work.

“We have to talk to our younger patients regarding prevention and address comorbid diseases,” Mwansa said. “We have to educate our women that they might be having a heart attack if they are short of breath or nauseous.”

Symptoms need to be evaluated quickly, so heart health problem can easily be diagnosed and treated quickly.

Dr. Mwansa said that culturally and historically, women were believed to be at much less risk of making heart disease.

“As cardiologiests, we have to defeat that culture. The consequences of heart attacks are much more damaging in women,” he said.

His prescription completely heart good health entails obtaining 30 moments of workout (damage a sweat) 3 to 5 times a week; prevent smoking or never ever start; and consume a heart-healthy and balanced diet.

“never ever second-suspect your heart health. Any kind of symptom you grab could possibly be a heart attack — nausea, diaphoresis, spine pain,” Mwansa said.

marilyn.halstead@http://ift.tt/1VJVWiI

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