Women & Cardiovascular Disease: Questions to Ask Your Doctor About Your Heart Health
Though a deadly and serious disease despite the gender; however, Cardio Vascular Disease (CVD) remains the leading cause of death among women across the globe. Though the data is not routinely collected, whenever the survey has been done, the main cause of death remains the same. The numbers have been slowly increasing though, which is not a comforting thought.
What is meant by the term cardiovascular disease?
To describe it simply, Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD) also known as Heart Diseases describes a number of different conditions that affect your heart. Though in order to be more specific, Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) generally refers to conditions that involve narrow or blocked blood vessels. The blockage of the blood vessels will indefinitely lead to a heart attack, chest pain, and stroke.
As per the American Heart Association, the term Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) is an umbrella term for the following diseases:
- Heart disease includes numerous problems; the prominent one remains atherosclerosis.
- A heart attack generally means that the blood flow towards the heart is restricted by the presence of a blood clot.
- Stroke: there are two types of stroke:
- Ischemic stroke is known to be the most common type of stroke. It occurs when a blood vessel going towards the brain is blocked (usually because of a blood clot).
- Hemorrhagic stroke: this type of stroke usually occurs when a blood vessel within the brain bursts which is the result of uncontrolled hypertension.
- Heart failure or congestive heart failure means that the heart is incapable of pumping blood as well as it should.
- Arrhythmia refers to a disease of abnormal or irregular heart rhythm or beat. It is too fast, too slow, or irregular most of the time.
- Heart valve problems refer to the problems when a heart valve does not open wide enough for the required amount of blood to pass or enter.
What causes Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)?
Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD), on the whole, can refer to a number of different heart or blood vessel-related problems. The term is often used to refer to the damaged part of the heart or blood vessels, generally by atherosclerosis.
Atherosclerosis, silently and slowly, blocks arteries which put the blood flow at risk. This generally results in heart attack, stroke, or peripheral vascular disease – when all of these are combined together; they can result in a Cardiovascular Disease [CVD].
Atherosclerosis can be avoided by simple measures such as healthier diet, exercise, contained smoking, and proper weight management.
Signs and symptoms
The sign and symptoms of heart diseases are different for men and women. A study done in 2003 concluded that women suffering from cardiovascular diseases did not show the common or classic signs associated with cardiovascular disease symptoms portrayed by men, which, generally include chest pain or a tingling sensation.
What is more interesting is that many women started to show the classic cardiovascular disease symptoms a month prior to the actual attack; or the symptoms would turn out to be the cause of early onset menopause, depression, and anxiety. However, the sign and symptom usually depend on the type of heart disease or cardiovascular disease the patient suffers from. Some of the most common cardiovascular disease symptoms in women include:
- Nausea
- Jaw pain
- Back pain
- Neck pain
- Cold sweats
- Vomiting
- Anxiety
- Dizziness
- Paleness
- Shortness of breath
- Lightheadedness
- Passing out
- Indigestion
What are the possible treatment options?
Lifestyle changes
Many forms of heart diseases or cardiovascular diseases can be treated or prevented with healthy lifestyle choices. A healthy lifestyle can help you treat the disease or, at times, prevent it from getting worse with time.
A patient’s diet is the first place they should look. Low sodium and a low-fat diet are perhaps one’s go-to when trying to contain one’s cardiovascular disease or trying to prevent further heart-related complications.
The first basic step, however, includes an increased amount of exercise, quitting smoking, and lessening alcohol consumption.
Medication
Medications are prescribed by the doctor to contain the effects of a heart or cardiovascular disease when applying the lifestyle changes is not enough. Medications are generally prescribed to slow or stop the risk of complications.
Surgery or other procedures
In several cases, surgery or other extreme procedures become a necessity when trying to prevent the spread of the disease or worsening of the symptoms.
For example, if the patient has blocked arteries and all oral medications fail, then usually angiography is done, or any other procedure which though is harmless but would require the patient to go under the needle.
Prevention
Some factors cannot be ignored when it comes to certain diseases, for example, your bloodline. If heart diseases run in your family, chances are no matter how hard you try; you will suffer from the same consequences.
However, one can still try and live a better life by trying their best to observe as many cautions as one can:
- Try and aim for healthy blood pressure and cholesterol level. Each person should try and look forward to the positive and good things in life. Trying to focus on the good and filtering out the negative things really disciplines the body and soul, inevitably profiting one’s health as well.
- A simple tip, yet extremely difficult to follow through; manage your stress level. In this day and age, anxiety and stress are part and parcel of our lives. Young teens are suffering from anxiety and depression. The point is to have an outlet for all the depressive and anxious thoughts. Different things work for different people. One can try yoga, taekwondo, karate, or any other various forms of physical activity which works wonders.
- Try and eat healthily, and eventually live a healthy lifestyle. If you live a healthier life, on the whole, you would not have to focus on one aspect as if it were a punishment or prevention of a particular disease. Eating healthy could elevate your mood, overall aura, and fitness level. After all, you are what you eat.
