Heart Disease and Women

Kills More Women than Breast Cancer

Jan 7, 2009 Jo Anne Moore

The ongoing "pink" campaigns have almost everyone focused on the number of women diagnosed or dying from breast cancer.

Nearly a day goes by where there is not a report of a major celebrity forced to deal with this potentially deadly disease.

However, the focus on breast cancer is acting as camouflage for another deadly disease. Heart disease kills more women than cancer. In fact, according to the Center for Disease Control, The American Medical Association as well as every other major health organization, heart disease is the number one killer of women.

We have always connected heart disease to men. Their attacks are more obvious, more easily identifiable. Medical practitioners are trained to react quickly when men suffer heart attacks. However, study has shown that women have different symptoms. Women's bodies react differently to internal aortic disease. Subsequently, the signs of a woman in distress are missed most of the time. If she survives the first time, she may not survive the second. Misdiagnosis for women is the norm, rather than the rarity. So how does a woman know when she suffers from heart disease and is it preventable?

Women tend not to have chest pain. It does happen, but not the catastrophic pain that strikes men. The pain is usually diagnosed as something else, even by doctors. The pain sometimes happens on the right side of the chest, instead of the left side of the chest. Congestion in the body and lungs, like a cold that won't go away, is an indicator. Swelling in extremities such as the ankles is another indicator. Shortness of breath, when climbing stairs or simply walking to your car or down the block or with your dog is another symptom, as is extraordinary fatigue, in women who are always tired, no matter what. This is also usually misdiagnosed.

Heart disease is preventable with life change and sometimes, medication. Simple steps taken in diet, approaches to exercise, mental health and living in general, will go a long way in protecting women from falling victim to heart disease.

Eat a balanced diet, high in fruits and vegetables and low in fat to reduce cholesterol and keep arteries from becoming clogged. Exercise. Since your heart is a muscle, it needs to be worked everyday. Doctors and experts say 30 minutes a day is good. At the very least, take a walk around the block. Cut the stress in your life. This is easier said than done, but it is absolutely essential for well being, both mentally and physically. Learn to love you as you love others.

Finally, get check ups for your blood pressure and general well being. And know your family history. As that old saying goes, an ounce of prevention is well worth the ton of cure.

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