Women & Heart Disease

One in Two Women Will Die of Heart Disease

By itself, that fact is shocking. But it becomes even more so when you consider that the primary health concern of most women is breast cancer which has a much lower fatality rate - one in thirty. Heart disease is the number one killer of women, yet most of us are unaware that we're at risk.

The good news is that heart disease is largely preventable. The first step in prevention is recognizing your risk.

Learning to Identify the Signs of a Heart Attack

Sadly, for many people the first sign that they suffer from heart disease is a heart attack. That's why it's so important for women to be able to recognize the symptoms of their own heart disease. The sooner you recognize the signs of heart attack, the sooner you can seek treatment. And in the midst of a heart attack, time is life.

Some women do experience what is thought of as the "classic" heart attack symptom: crushing or squeezing pain in the chest. But many women experience some of the lesser known symptoms:

• Nausea and vomiting
• Unexplained weakness and fatigue
• Light-headedness
• Burning sensation in the upper abdomen
• Pain in the stomach, arm, back or jaw
• Discomfort between the shoulder blades
• Breaking out in a cold sweat

If you think you may be having a heart attack, call 911 immediately.