February Is American Heart Month – Tips for Keeping Your Heart Healthy & Strong

February 5, 2021February 4, 2021 SB Hospice Staff

Since 1963, February has been known as American Heart Month. This is a time when healthcare experts and providers spread greater awareness of heart disease and give tips to keep hearts healthy and strong. As we age, the risks of heart-related problems increase, and people who have a family history of cardiac disease have an even higher risk of developing a serious health condition.

Heart Health Is Important for Women as Well as Men

Many think that heart disease is something only men are at risk for through the years. However, women too must take steps to maintain good heart health. Heart disease in women is often misdiagnosed due to misinformation and different warning signs than men typically experience before a severe cardiac event. The percentage of women who develop coronary heart disease is approximately 1 in 16 women who are over the age of 20.

Warning Signs of an Impending Adverse Cardiac Event

Men typically report chest pain when having a serious cardiac emergency, while women often don’t experience this chest pain in the same manner. In women, it is more common for symptoms like nausea, heartburn, and perhaps a mild chest discomfort to occur. Pain can be felt radiating down the left arm, making an uncomfortable tingling sensation or numbness.

Women also tend to downplay symptoms, and they are often caring for others. Since heart attack signs are less obvious until permanent damage to the heart occurs, women are more likely than men to die if they do experience a heart attack. Women tend to feel milder discomfort in the chest rather like a squeezing type of feeling, if this occurs at all.

Expert Tips for Keeping Your Heart Healthy & Strong

No matter what your age is, there are some helpful steps to take that can decrease those risks of a heart attack or permanent heart disease. Be aware of all the symptoms of a pending heart attack and seek medical treatment early.

Women often don’t realize that they are having a heart problem until late signs appear like audible wheezing, lower legs, feet or ankle swelling, bloating, severe headache, and altered blood pressure and pulse readings.

Commit to a Heart-Healthy Lifestyle

Determine to commit to living a heart-healthy lifestyle. Avoid smoking and too much alcohol, and incorporate healthy foods with more fruits and vegetables into your diet.

Learn more about heart health. Contact SBCP Home Care in Irvine at http://sbhospicecare.com.