February was American Heart Month. This fact may leave some women thinking, “so what?” Many believe that heart attacks are only a threat to older men or those who smoke, but the truth is that heart attacks and strokes kill more women in the United States than all cancers combined. In fact, heart disease is the number one killer of women in America.
What’s even more troubling than this statistic is that many women believe heart disease is not a threat to them or that they don’t need to worry about it until they’re older. Most may not even be familiar with the particularly unique signs of heart disease in women that go well beyond chest pain. These symptoms can include:
- Shortness of breath
- Unusual pain in the lower or upper back
- Nausea or vomiting
- Excessive sweating or chills
- Jaw pain
Symptoms may occur during a heart attack or even in the weeks leading up to one.
Don’t let yourself be a woman caught off guard. Although American Heart Month has come and gone, you should still learn the signs of heart attacks in women, schedule your annual well woman visit with your doctor or gynecologist, and share what you learn with your sisters, mothers, friends and daughters.
Learn more about the important role that well woman care plays in preventing conditions including heart attacks and diabetes and how preventative screenings can help catch breast and reproductive cancers in women early.