To schedule a cardiopulmonary test, call
740-333-2735
.
the same symptoms but might also
feel a sharp, burning pain in their
chest. Women are also more likely to
notice pain in their neck, jaw, throat,
abdomen or back.
Men and women can also have
diferent heart attack symptoms.
Chest pain is the most common
symptom overall, but only half of the
women who have heart attacks have
chest pain, notes the NHLBI.
During a heart attack, women are
more likely than men to report back
or neck pain, indigestion, nausea,
vomiting, extreme fatigue, trouble
breathing and light-headedness.
Compared to men, women are less
likely to have pain in their lef arm or
break out in a cold sweat.
Regardless of the specifc symp-
toms, if you think you’re having a
heart attack, get help right away. Early
treatment can limit heart damage.
Try these things
Of course, it’s far better to take
care of yourself so that a heart-related
emergency never occurs. Tere are a
number of things you can do:
If you smoke, work hard to quit.
Tobacco smoke damages and nar-
rows blood vessels and makes it
more likely that blood clots will form
inside arteries. By quitting, you cut
your heart disease risk in half afer
one year, according to the NHLBI.
Choose heart-healthy foods.
A
diet low in saturated fat, trans fat,
salt and sugar and high in fber,
whole grains, and fruits and veg-
etables can help protect your heart.
Eating this way can help keep your
cholesterol, blood pressure and
weight under control.
Stay active.
Like a good diet,
regular physical activity makes cho-
lesterol, blood pressure and weight
easier to manage. It also helps pre-
vent or control diabetes, a major risk
factor for heart disease—particularly
among women. Start out slowly,
and try to exercise for 30 minutes a
day on most—if not all—days of the
week.
Manage stress.
Stress can nar-
row arteries and raise blood pres-
sure. Some ways of reducing stress
include:
w
Sharing your feelings with
supportive people
w
Staying active
w
Taking part in a stress management
or relaxation program.
Finally, remember this: Taking a
risk can be exciting and can some-
times change life in a good way. But
when it comes to your heart’s health,
it’s best to play it safe.
Onelocal
woman’s
experience
Jeanne Immell of Washington Court
House was long ago diagnosed with
atrial fbrillation but hadn’t expe-
rienced symptoms in more than a
decade.
Atrial fbrillation—also called AF
or A-fb—is an abnormal, rapid heart-
beat that increases the risk of stroke
and heart disease.
A few weeks ago, Immell began
having symptoms of AF, including
dizziness, fatigue and weakness. The
episode lasted more than two hours,
but she was hesitant to seek medical
assistance. A family member fnally
persuaded her to go to the Emergency
Department at Fayette County Memo-
rial Hospital (FCMH).
“Everyone in the ER was so nice,”
Immell says. “I was embarrassed to go
in and have it be nothing. The staf in
the hospital was wonderful, and
Dr. Aurbach kept me for observation.”
Lucky not to have had a heart
attack or stroke that day, Immell ofers
this advice to other women:
“Don’t hesitate to take advantage
of our ER. It may be a small town
hospital, but FCMH has served as a
lifesaver to many of my friends in our
community.”