My mother always seemed to be out of breath, for no apparent reason. She'd sit on her recliner and struggle to get some air into her lungs, complaining that she couldn't take a deep breath, or even yawn. Yet, a "tight" feeling in her chest was never one her symptoms, nor did she have any pain running down her arm. No1x None of my mom's complaints even registered on her doctor's "heart problem chart." He just told her she was "nervous," prescribed some tranquilizers, and sent her on her way.
A short while later, in 1986, my mother collapsed while getting out of bed. She was conscience and in no pain--just a little out of breath. A number of tests were required to prove mom had suffered a heart attack. The hospital even released her with a clean bill of health after a five-day stay on the heart unit. Yet, it was only three days later that she died--of another heart attack.
Fourteen years ago, doctors didn't realize that a heart attack in a woman differed from that of a man. How could they possibly know? All their information on heart attacks came from tests performed on men only.
Now their data is less skewed. Studies have shown that women are more prone to fall victim to heart attacks from age 46 on?the menopausal years. Women's heart attack symptoms aren't as cut and dry as with men. Yes, women could get the chest pains and numbness in the left arm, but a variety of other symptoms are also possible. Abdominal pain, back pain, indigestion, and pain on the right side of the body are just a few among the many indicators of heart trouble in women. Everything's suspect1x
Heart disease is the number one killer of women in America, not cancer. Heart attacks kill more women than men in the later years of life. Why are we just learning about this?
Even now, with all the new information available about heart disease and women, most doctors still don't take women seriously when they complain of feeling sick or having discomfort. Many doctors still view "heart attack" as mainly a man's disease.
We've all heard of the horror stories about a man who goes to the doctor for a check up, gets a clean bill of health, only to suffer a heart attack outside of the doctor's office. But women, who are far more likely to visit their doctors, are still being sent home with platitudes and placebos rather than exploratory exams. It takes time to diagnose heart trouble in women. Do women have to continue falling prey to heart attacks before their symptoms can be properly diagnosed?
Women themselves have to learn to be more assertive about their symptoms. If they don't feel well, they have to make sure that their doctors listen to them and take them seriously. It's important to remember, there is more than one doctor to choose from if "yours" isn't listening to "you." If women don't take care of themselves, who will?
For more articles about Heart Disease and women, as well as links to healthy eating try,
Discovery Health: National Heart
