What You Should Know About Heart Attack in Women

Spread the love

We have all seen scenes in movies where a man clutches his chest and falls to the ground within seconds. What we may not have seen or thought about is that the scene can very well have a woman in it. Heart attack in women is more common than you think. But studies indicate that heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in women. In fact, women are less likely to survive a heart attack compared to men.

The risk of heart diseases to both sexes is high, but heart diseases affect men and women differently.Over one crore annual deaths are reported in India and cardiovascular diseases cause 20.3% deaths in men and 16.9 % deaths in women. Each year more women die of heart disease than men, yet heart disease and related risk factors are often overlooked in women.
www.narayanahealth.org

Symptoms of Heart Attack

A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is blocked. The blockage is most often a build-up of fat, cholesterol and other substances within the arteries that block the blood flow to the heart.

The common symptoms of heart attack are

Chest pain
Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint
Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, or back
Pain or discomfort in one or both arms or shoulders
Shortness of breath

Although determining exactly when a heart attack can occur is impossible, in most cases the body does send out warning signals of an impending heart attack.

Chest pain

Chest pain is one of the most common indicators of a heart attack. The pain can be a feeling of pressure, fullness, tightness or extreme pain causing extreme discomfort. Women often do not feel extreme chest pain which is a more common symptom in men

Jaw Pain

Pain on the left side of the jaw along with other symptoms such as chest pain, sweating, shortness of breath is an indicator of heart attack

Shoulder and Neck Pain

Chest pain can also extend to the shoulder and neck. This may be mistaken as pain due to exhaustion or muscle stress.

Left Arm Pain

Sudden and unusual pain on the left arm (or sometimes both arms) starting off from the chest is indicative of heart attack.

The warning signs may start to show up days before the heart attack, but women tend to ignore the symptoms of heart attack because of the lack of knowledge about the symptoms and often dismiss these as stress and exhaustion.

Top heart attack symptoms in women

One month before a heart attack	During a heart attack
Unusual fatigue (71%)	Shortness of breath (58%)
Sleep disturbance (48%)	Weakness (55%)
Shortness of breath (42%)	Unusual fatigue (43%)
Indigestion (39%)	Cold sweat (39%)
Anxiety (36%)	Dizziness (39%)
Heart racing (27%)	Nausea (36%)
Arms weak/heavy (25%)	Arms weak/heavy (35%)

Source: Circulation 2003, Vol. 108, p. 2621.

How and Why Heart Attack is different for Men and Women

Blood lipids

Before menopause, the estrogen in women helps protect them from heart disease by increasing HDL (good) cholesterol and decreasing LDL (bad) cholesterol. The estrogen levels fall at menopause. Elevated triglycerides accompanied by Low HDL and high triglycerides increase the risk of heart attacks in women after menopause.

Diabetes

Studies show that diabetes increases the risk of heart disease in women more than it does in men. This is perhaps because women with diabetes more often have other added risk factors, such as obesity, hypertension, and high cholesterol. In women who’ve already had a heart attack, diabetes doubles the risk for a second heart attack and increases the risk for heart failure.

Metabolic syndrome

Metabolic syndrome is a collection of heart disease risk factors that increase your chance of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. These conditions include increased blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol or triglyceride levels. Metabolic syndrome is the most important risk factor for having heart attacks in women.

Smoking

Research indicates that women who smoke are more likely to have a heart attack than male smokers. This may be because women find it more difficult to give up smoking as compared to men. Nicotine replacements and other anti-smoking options are also less effective in women because their menstrual cycles tend to affect the tobacco withdrawal symptoms.

Caring for your Heart

There are several things that you can do in order to reduce the risk of a heart attack in women or men.

Don’t smoke or be exposed regularly to other’s smoke – Active and passive smoking can increase the chances of getting a heart attack.
Lead an active lifestyle – Physical activity, at least 30 mins of moderate-intensity exercise, on most days improves your heart health.
Eat healthy – Avoid high cholesterol foods. Have a nutrient rich diet with whole grains, leafy vegetables, nuts and lean proteins.
Aim for a healthy weight – Discuss the ideal weight for you with your doctor based on your height, age and health conditions. Try to work towards maintaining the weight.
Reduce stress – Exercise, adequate sleep, relaxation techniques, and meditation are some of the practices to follow that can reduce stress.

For more women’s health blogs from Infano, click here.

Spread the love

Menstruators who suffer from painful periods and cramps often turn to over-the-counter drugs as a way to alleviate their pain but did you know that chocolate is a delicious treat that can also be a healthy diet for women? In fact, according to a study published in the medical journal Clinical Nursing Research, up to 75% of people report using medications for menstrual pain. But is there another solution?

Surprisingly, chocolate has properties that are beneficial to the female reproductive system. So don’t give up on your favorite dessert just yet!

For those who experience period pain and cramps, chocolate might be the perfect healthy treat to make your day a little bit brighter. The chemicals in chocolate that produce the “happy” effect also happen to counteract the chemical that signals pain and inflammation. Menstruators who suffer from severe menstrual cramps and pain can find relief in chocolate. Chocolate, which contains natural pain relievers, such as the brain chemical serotonin, can counteract the pain of periods for many women.

Are chocolates really the healthy diet for women for painful periods?

Menstruators who suffer from severe menstrual cramps and pain can find relief in chocolate. Chocolate, which contains natural pain relievers, such as the brain chemical serotonin, can counteract the pain of periods for many women. Period pain can affect women’s health in both physical and mental aspects.

Painful periods are a real monthly issue for many menstruators. The pain can last days and is often accompanied by bleeding between periods, discomfort after sex, pelvic cramps, and mood swings. Period onsets seem to be getting earlier for younger menstruators as well. Painful menstrual cycles are a reality for many, but some dark chocolate could be the key to relieving the symptoms of painful periods.

What causes period pain?

It’s not always possible to pinpoint the cause of menstrual pain. A variety of factors can influence how painful a period can be for a menstruator and also other underlying problems may be the cause.

Period pain is typically caused by contractions of the uterus as it expels blood and tissue from the body. The uterus’s contractions can cause cramps and pain. This is more commonly experienced before and during menstruation. The most common symptoms of period pain are abdominal cramps, nausea, and vomiting, diarrhea or constipation and fatigue. When contractions of the uterus cause nausea and vomiting, some women may feel as though they are going to vomit. While this is not always the case, it does happen more often than not.

What are some other treatments and possible solutions for period pain?

There are numerous herbal supplements that can be prescribed by a naturopathic doctor to help treat period cramps. The main ingredients in these herbs include B-vitamins, omega 3 fatty acids, ginger, and chamomile, which can help to relieve cramps by increasing blood flow. In addition to the supplements mentioned, menstruators can also take magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, fish oil, and l-arginine. However, it’s important to speak with your doctor before taking any of these supplements. The pain associated with period cramps can be excruciating, but there are plenty of natural remedies that can help to alleviate the pain.

There are many possible solutions to this problem. Menstruators can try drinking cups of chamomile tea for menstrual pain, taking a hot bath with Epsom salts, eating foods rich in magnesium, eating cheese before bedtime, eating pasture-raised eggs, or bone broth. I have personally tried the magnesium bath, and I find it very soothing.

Is eating chocolate the new, healthy diet for women for pain and cramps?

Chocolate can be a healthy diet for women and menstruators during their periods because it is a healthier and more natural way to treat pain.

The study, which focused on women over 40, found that women with chronic pain were more likely to eat chocolate than those without chronic pain. The study also found that women who ate chocolate had lower levels of inflammatory markers— particularly C-reactive protein—which can be a sign of other health problems. In fact, the only thing the researchers could find that might have explained chocolate’s health benefits was the antioxidants in the chocolate.

“The positive effects of chocolate are thought to be due to its high levels of antioxidant flavonoids,” said one of the study’s authors. “We found that this was indeed the key factor since it reversed some of the negative effects There are various myths surrounding chocolate and its supposedly healthy properties. For instance, many people believe that eating chocolate can help with menstrual cramps and pain. But does it actually work? The answer is not simple, but it is encouraging. Eating a small amount of dark chocolate can improve mood due to the serotonin released into the brain. However, there is no evidence suggesting that this can reduce cramps or pain.

What is chocolate’s effect on your menstrual cycle?

Processed chocolate bar or sweetened desserts are full of sugar, dairy, fats, and cocoa butter. A single bar has around six grams of sugar, which is the same amount that might be found in a serving of white pasta (remember, half an ounce). More importantly, the wrong chocolate or an unhealthy chocolate dessert can actually make your menstrual cramps worse for this reason. The theobromine, which is found in chocolate, acts as a muscle relaxant to reduce pain. So another problem with this is that it can also cause you to lose muscle tone in the uterus and pelvic floor.

Better than salt and pepper: how does it work?

The chocolate-as-panacea narrative is old, but it’s no less popular. It’s likely to be upsetting for women with painful periods who have been told since they were children that chocolate is good or bad for them depending on the time of the month. Chocolate has its benefits, but it also carries some risks, primarily in the form of weight gain and tooth decay. An excess of anything is always bad. Moderation is key and dark chocolate which has a higher percentage of cocoa is the better alternative and not the milk-based sugary ones.

For more on menstrual health and a healthy diet for women by Infano, click here.