Daily Trust Sunday

Silent heart attack in women

- Source: sciencedai­ly.com

Many women put too much pressure on themselves to make the holidays perfect for everyone. This can add a lot of unnecessar­y stress and anxiety that can lead to serious heart problems.

Houston Methodist DeBakey Heart & Vascular Center cardiologi­st Karla Kurrelmeye­r, M.D. says in their quest to get everything done on time, some women will ignore the mild symptoms of a silent heart attack.

“Most of the time people who are experienci­ng a heart attack will have pain in the chest, shortness of breath, etc. Silent heart attack symptoms might be as simple as indigestio­n, flu-like symptoms, or feeling discomfort like a pulled muscle in the chest or back,” Kurrelmeye­r said. “It’s important to have these symptoms checked as soon as possible to avoid scarring or damage to the heart.”

Kurrelmeye­r says stress-induced cardiomyop­athy is also a concern for women around the holidays. This occurs when women are under great amounts of stress for a short period of time and that stress is compounded with another traumatic event such as a death in the family, a car accident, loss of money, etc. If it is ignored it can be fatal.

“Stress-induced cardiomyop­athy is a weakening of the left ventricle, the heart’s main pumping chamber,” Kurrelmeye­r said. “It is brought on by the release of stress hormones that shock the heart, causing changes in the heart muscles that then cause the left ventricle to not work properly. The vast majority of people who are affected by this condition are women in the late 50s to mid-70s.”

Someone experienci­ng this condition might develop chest pains or shortness of breath after severe stress, either emotional or physical, she said. In most cases, it is treated with medication such as beta blockers or ACE inhibitors. It’s important to have an echocardio­gram as soon as possible if you are experienci­ng any symptoms.

A spike in blood pressure is also common during the holidays. Kurrelmeye­r says many women end up in the ER with chest pains or palpitatio­ns and, in the most severe cases, can suffer a stroke. If a woman has a history of high blood pressure it’s important to monitor it closely, especially during those times when the stress level rises.

Heart problems in women are not usually as recognizab­le as they are in men. Some of the symptoms for women include: • Extreme weakness, anxiety, or shortness of breath. Discomfort, pressure, heaviness or pain in the chest, arm, below the breastbone or in the middle of the back. Sweating, nausea, dizziness. Fullness, indigestio­n, a tightness in the throat area. Rapid or irregular heartbeats. • • • • vomiting,

“It’s important to take time for yourself during the holiday season and do things that will help relieve your stress,” Kurrelmeye­r said. “Exercise, either walking or running, yoga, meditation, a nice walk with a loved one, whatever it takes, make it happen. The holidays should be a joyous time spent with family and friends at home, not with doctors in an emergency room.”

 ?? PHOTO CREDIT: ?? Graduates The Wall Street Journal
PHOTO CREDIT: Graduates The Wall Street Journal

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