A heart attack occurs in the case of a severe reduction or a complete blockage of the blood flow that brings oxygen to the heart muscle.
The main cause is the slow narrowing of the arteries that supply the heart with blood due to a buildup of plaque. Studies have shown that 43.8 million women are currently suffering from some kind of heart disease.
Women are more prone t heart diseases than men, and they have the highest risk of death due to a heart attack than all cancer types combined.
Yet, heart attacks are more commonly associated with men, so this contributes to an increase of the risks as women do not regard a heart attack as a possible culprit when it occurs.
The most common symptoms of heart attacks are more subtle in women, and they might even associate them to something less serious, like the flu, for instance.
Therefore, it is important to know these warning signs of a heart attack in women:
- Pain in Areas Other Than the Chest
In most cases, the pain occurs in areas other than the chest, like in the arm, back, or the jaw.
- Chest Pressure
Even though this pressure is not as intense as in men, women often experience an uncomfortable squeezing, pressure, fullness of pain in the center of your chest for a few minutes. Women depict it as an upper back pressure similar to squeezing or a rope being tied around them.
- Sweating and Shortness of Breath
If you experience a break out in a cold sweat, which gets aggravated by exercise or is accompanied by chest pain, you should immediately call 911.
- Nausea or Vomiting
These signs are often attributed to issues like a stomach bug, but before a heart attack, women often experience nausea or vomiting.
- Unusual Fatigue
If you are constantly tired without any evident reason, and if you also experience some of the symptoms above, you should definitely visit your doctor.
However, you can take some preventative measures which can help you lower the risk of a heart attack:
- Eat healthy foods
You should focus on fruits and vegetables, especially garlic, as it lowers blood pressure. Also, the increased risk of a heart attack is often linked to inflammation, so you should also consume Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, which has potent anti-inflammatory properties which lower the accumulation of plaque in the arteries.
- Reduce the Sugar intake
The excessive consumption of sugar negatively affects the body, reduces good cholesterol and increases triglycerides, thus raising the chances of experiencing a heart attack.
- Take Supplements
To dilate the arteries, and help the flow of blood, you should take fish oil. Also, vitamin C prevents damage of the arteries, while vitamin K protects against calcification (hardening of the arteries), which might be another cause of a heart attack.
- Exercise
The strenuous daily activity might raise the risk of a heart attack, but moderate exercise reduces the risk of heart attack.
Yet, always remember not to wait in case you suspect you are having a heart attack. Instead, you should immediately call 911 and get to a hospital. The following video gives more information about heart attacks in women: