Women and heart disease were believed to be incompatible. There had been a conviction before that women have little or no chance of getting heart disease compared to men. It is a fact that even women can do get heart disease. In fact, heart disease is the leading cause of death in women in the United States.
At the age of 65, women’s risk of acquiring heart disease is equivalent to that of men who experience the same even at an early age. There are heart disease indicators that only men would undergo and vice versa; this is one misunderstanding regarding women and heart disease.
Common symptoms that usually occur to men are chest pains, palpitations, and shortness of breath, while anxiety, unusual fatigue, trouble sleeping, shortness of breath, and indigestion strike women. Several doctors fail to see the distinction of the symptoms on men and women because heart disease was conceptualized as a male condition only; therefore, the incidence of heart problems in women was often related to other illnesses.
In reality, women’s chances of surviving, or having a full recovery after a heart attack are very minimal, this is one alarming fact about women and heart disease. The reason for which is still unknown but some professionals have speculated that the smaller hearts of women make them more susceptible to severe damage.
Some women might have been deluded by physicians of not having a heart disease because they are used to having only men with this kind of condition. The different symptoms that men and women with heart disease experience are one of the reasons why physicians fail to anticipate an attack.
This is why women and heart disease must be taken more seriously and given a second look. Being proactive is one of the ways to ensure that this ailment does not come across you. It is advisable that you have yourself checked at once when you begin to experience some of the symptoms mentioned.
Do not persuade yourself into believing instantly that it is not something serious; instead, request for the necessary tests first and have the physician enlighten you on your condition. In the end, your persistence is what will make the difference between life and death.
Also Read: The Precursors Of Congestive Heart Disease
