What Causes Heart Failure In Women And How To Prevent It?
Quite often, people associate heart diseases with a problem that men more commonly deal with. However, according to research, heart diseases are a common cause of death in both men and women. Moreover, there are certain heart disease symptoms that women experience that differ from what men go through. You can learn more about these symptoms and can find ways to reduce their risks.
However, before that, you first need to know what the symptoms that one might face are and what is causing these symptoms in the first place.
What symptoms is one likely to experience?
Both men and women experience the same symptoms; chest pain, some pressure, or discomfort in the chest that comes and goes and doesn’t last for more than a few minutes. Most women don’t experience severe chest pain; for some, the pain is almost not even noticeable. Most women describe it as a slight pressure or tightness in their chest instead. So one thing that you should know is that one can have a heart attack without having any chest pain.
Women are likely to experience heart attack symptoms that are not related to chest pain. These include:
- Pain in the neck, jaw, upper back or any sort of abdominal discomfort
- Shortness of breath
- Pain in one or both of your arms
- You feel nauseous or vomit like
- You sweat a lot
- Feeling lightheaded or dizzy
- You will also experience unusual fatigue
- Indigestion is also common
Since these symptoms are vague and not as noticeable as the excruciating chest pain that one would associate with a heart attack, most women don’t always recognize them and end up in emergency rooms after heart damage has occurred. Most women tend to experience these symptoms while they’re resting or sleeping. Emotional stress can also trigger these symptoms in women.
What causes these heart diseases?
There are many risk factors that cause these coronary artery diseases, such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and obesity. However, there are some other factors as well that play a huge role in causing these heart diseases in women.
These factors include:
- Diabetes
Women who have diabetes are more likely to end up with these heart diseases as compared to men. And since a diabetic person usually experiences pain in a different way, there are more chances of a woman having a silent heart attack, where you experience no symptoms.
- Stress and depression
Stress and depression both tend to have an adverse effect on women’s hearts more than men’s. Depression can make it difficult for one to maintain a healthy lifestyle and to follow the recommended treatment.
- Smoking
Smoking is the root cause of heart diseases in women more than it is in men.
- Inactivity
Women are said to be less active compared to women. And this lack of exercise is one of the main causes of heart diseases in women.
- Menopause
Menopause causes the estrogen levels to reduce, which leads to an increased risk of developing a disease in the smaller blood vessels.
- Pregnancy complications
Women who suffer from high blood pressure or diabetes during their pregnancy can end up having them in the long run. And both of these diseases can lead to heart diseases in the future.
- Family history of early heart disease
Women who have family members who suffer from heart diseases are at agreater risk than men.
- Inflammatory diseases
Inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, etc. can increase the risk of heart disease in both men and women.
Now that you know what can cause these heart diseases and their symptoms, it is important for you to know how to reduce the risk of having these heart diseases.
Ways to prevent heart diseases in women?
Changing your lifestyle can help to prevent these heart diseases. Here are a few things that one can do;
1. Quit smoking
Stop smoking, and also try to avoid any exposure to secondhand smoke as it can also cause damage to the blood vessels.
2. Exercising regularly
Try to do moderate exercise, such as walking at a brisk pace and jogging on the majority days of the week.
3. Maintaining a healthy weight
Ask your doctor and see what weight is the best for you. If you are overweight, it is better to lose a few pounds to prevent these diseases.
4. Follow a healthy diet plan
Opt for a healthier diet plan that consists of whole grains, a variety of fruits and veggies, lean meat, and low-fat or fat-free dairy products. Clear your meals of added sugars, high amounts of salt and saturated fats.
5. Managing stress
Stress can cause the arteries to tighten, which can lead to a number of heart diseases, especially coronary micro-vascular disease.
6. Limit alcohol
Cut back on the amount of alcohol you consume.
7. Follow your treatment plan
Make sure to take your prescribed medicines, including your blood pressure medications, blood thinners, etc.
8. Manage your other health conditions
If you have any other health concerns, you need to make sure that you address them and take the prescribed medications. People with high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, and diabetes need to maintain their health as these three health concerns can lead to severe heart issues in the future.
Conclusion:
While it is essential that you make changes to your lifestyle and what you eat on a daily basis, it is also extremely important for you to get medical help. If you are suffering from any kind of heart disease, then it is crucial that you visit a cardiovascular specialist and get yourself treated at the right time to prevent any severe damage to the heart.
We at South Florida Cardiovascular Specialist have a number of professional cardiologists to guide you during the entire process, tell you what option would be better, and keep you posted and what’s next to come. The cardiologists here really know what to do and will make sure you stay far from heart failure.
