Heart disease is often thought of as a "man's problem," but the truth is very different. One of the most widespread causes of death in women is heart disease in the world. However, there are a lot of women who are identified late or even undiagnosed. One of the reasons is that the symptoms of heart disease in women are often not similar to those of men, and they are mistaken or disregarded.
Heart disease is mostly associated by the majority of people with sudden chest pain, pressure, or pain extending to the left arm. While these common symptoms are experienced by some women, others do not experience them. Instead, women tend to experience less acute or bizarre symptoms which do not at first indicate a heart issue.
Women may develop such common symptoms as extreme fatigue, breathlessness, dizziness, nausea, indigestion, pains in the back or jaw, and sleep disturbances. Women may put off medical assistance because these signs might appear to be harmless or might result in stress or indigestion.
There are more chances that women associate their symptoms with non-cardiac factors, including anxiety, acidity, hormonal fluctuations or muscle pains. As an illustration, the pain in the jaw could be ignored as a dental problem, and the lack of breath could be attributed to lack of fitness or weight gain.
Women cannot even see doctors seriously regarding their complaints, even during medical consultations, where they might be underage or seem healthy. This may either cause a wrong diagnosis or slow testing, which can raise the chances of complications.
Hormones are significant to the heart health of women. Oestrogen provides certain protection against heart disease before the age of menopause. This can forestall the symptoms, and heart problems become more difficult to identify at an early stage.
Once a woman reaches the menopause stage, the chances of susceptibility to heart disease are elevated steeply, yet only a few women know this. The symptoms which manifest in this stage tend to be mistaken for menopause as opposed to cardiac complications.
Awareness about the health of the cardiac system in women is yet to be raised among the general population and within the healthcare environment. Previously, the majority of the research conducted on the heart was only in relation to males of the species, resulting in a gap in knowledge regarding the impact of heart disease in women.
Consequently, therapeutic guidelines and diagnoses are usually founded on male underlying disease models. This sex discrimination may complicate the proper and prompt diagnosis of the women.
Most women neglect their health in favour of their family and work lives. They tend to ignore the presence of symptoms with the hope that they will disappear or visit the hospital because of tight schedules. Such a delay may be fatal, because timely intervention is a vital factor in heart disease.
Awareness is the first step. Women ought to be aware of abnormal or chronic symptoms and seek medical consultation promptly. Health check-ups, blood pressure, diabetes and cholesterol control, physical exercise, and a balanced diet can help significantly reduce risk. Women have common but silent heart disease. It is important to realise the red flags and pay attention to them to save lives.
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