It’s high time you moved over
breast cancer as there’s a bigger, more dangerous killer around that has
wreaked havoc on the world. We are talking about heart disease. Heart disease
isn’t just a man’s problem, women are six times more likely to die of heart
disease than other leading causes of death, including breast cancer. Heart
disease is the number one cause of death of women across the United States. According
to the American Heart Association, women are at an increased risk than men for
heart disease and conditions associated with the disease. Still, many believe
it’s a “man’s illness,” which is why many women don’t know the signs or skip the
life-saving exams that could diagnose heart disease when it comes to health of
their heart. It’s extremely important for women to understand how heart disease
affects them and avoid these common heart health mistakes:
Skipping Blood Pressure Screenings- Many women neglect their preventive health exams, including routine
blood pressure screenings, as too many women are of the notion that they’ll
‘know’ when they’ll need to get their blood pressure (BP) checked. There’s
nothing wrong in being in tune with your body, but high blood pressure also
called “the silent disease,” affects 76.4 million adults in the U.S., and you
might not even know that you’ve BP as there may be no symptoms or signs, which
is often the case. Nonetheless, it’s important that you get your blood
pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar measured regularly by your doctor
(it’s important to track your risk factors so you can steer clear of an
unexpected heart attack or stroke).
Smoking- This is a no-brainer,
smoking does nothing good for your heart or overall health. Moreover, it’s
associated with an assortment of fatal health issues, including heart disease,
cancer, stroke, etc. Also, resorting to smoking to keep the weight down is
another big mistake. The best way to keep your weight in a healthy range is
through diet and exercise, do not count on cigarettes or e-cigarettes. Not to
mention, smoking also increases risk for lung disease, lung cancer and colon
cancer.
Overlooking Heart Attack Symptoms- Heart attack symptoms vary for men and women, for example, most women
don’t experience the crushing chest pain of a heart attack. Unfortunately,
nearly 64% of women who die from a heart attack had no indicators that they
were at risk. This highlights the importance on part of women to learn what
their heart attack symptoms are and be on the lookout. Women are more likely to have heart attack symptoms
unrelated to chest pain, pay attention to symptoms including nausea, abdominal
pain, difficulty breathing or other bothersome symptoms that are unusual for
you.
Thinking Certain Health Problems of Pregnancy Are No Longer There After Your
Child’s Birth- Your risk for heart problems
is much higher later in life, if you have developed diabetes during pregnancy,
gestational diabetes or hypertensive disease of pregnancy, such as gestational
hypertension or preeclampsia.
Other mistakes that leave
women at the receiving end of heart disease risk include physical inactivity,
too much alcohol consumption, eating too much sugar, unhealthy diet, stress,
little knowledge of cholesterol and blood pressure, lack of sleep, not putting
your health first, forgetting to ask your doctor questions (regarding your
heart disease risk), thinking you’re too young or too healthy to get heart
disease.
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