What Women need to know about Heart Health

Overview

Every year, the number of people affected and dying due to Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) is on a rapid rise. There are innumerable people around us – be it men or women – who are at the target of these deadly lifestyle diseases. Worldwide medical researchers and Cardiology experts are working rigorously to bring this number down or atleast keep it under control. Many medical reports and statistical data are there to prove that a lot is being done for this but owing to the lifestyle going haywire, unhealthy dietary habits, smoking and alcohol consumption, lack of exercise are some of the reasons behind this rise.

CVDs have always been known to be a bunch of heart conditions mostly affecting the male fraternity. But over the past few decades, the number of women being attacked by these diseases has gone up drastically.

Some of the highly prevalent Cardiac disorders affecting not only the males but also the females are:

• Arrhythmia
• Irregular Heart Rhythm
• Broken Heart Syndrome, also known as stress-induced Cardiomyopathy
• Coronary heart disease or Coronary Artery Disease
• Coronary Micro vascular Disease, also known as Cardiac Syndrome X or Non-obstructive Coronary Heart Disease
• Atrial Fibrillation
• Heart failure
• Cardiac Arrest

Why Gender matters?

Around the world, heart ailments are at the forefront in the list of reasons behind the mortality rate. Surely the risk factors and the signs may be different for men and women; reports show that the average age, when the first cardiac arrest strikes women is mostly seven years more than the same in men. But one of the factors that affect the occurrence and the risks is gender.

Although men are more prone to developing these disorders sooner than women, but these are today equally affecting the women as well. Other than the gender aspect, women have the same hazards like men, which are family history, smoking, high blood pressure, and increased levels of cholesterol.
Apart from the above mentioned, Diabetes is also a very rampant risk factor today behind the development of Cardiac diseases in women. Women with Diabetes show mild symptoms like heartburn or breathlessness, when they go through physical exertion rather than chest pain that is more common in men with Diabetes.

The Age factor

The ageing process is one of the most vital factors causing the increase in the number of people being affected by heart diseases. As our body ages, the blood vessels too age and their power to function normally goes down. This affects the harmonious flow of blood badly as the flexibility of these vessels degenerates. Further, there is continuous collation of a fatty substance called plaque, on the walls of the arteries through which the blood reaches the heart. All this, along with poor lifestyles and food habits and no exercise make such people all the more vulnerable. So, this shows that we can’t avoid or control our ageing process but we can surely delay the advance of these diseases by going through dedicated health checks and by controlling and correcting our lifestyle.

Know the signs, protect your Heart

There is no doubt that the occurrence of these heart diseases or the related symptoms is very unpredictable. Also, the symptoms that a man comes across may be different for a woman. Often we get confused as the signs of a heart attack may be similar to some other ailment too. For example, chest is common is a heart attack as well as in acidity as well. But certainly, there are some symptoms that a woman must be aware of:

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Upper back or neck pain
• Heartburn or indigestion
• Fatigue
• Swelling in the legs, feet and ankles
• Pain in the throat or jaw
• Sweating
• Shortness of breath
• Irregular heart beat

Final Verdict

With each year, there is dynamic progress in the field of Cardiology; there are newer and more updated ways to diagnose and treat the most complex heart condition. Today there is regular and successful implementation of the most progressive heart procedures like minimally invasive techniques and Robotic Heart procedures, which have not only lowered the risks but also augmented the life span. All said and done, at the same time, the women need to be extremely careful about their heart health so that they can keep away from these heart conditions and do not have to go through these intricate surgeries.