It is a good idea for women to listen to their hearts

Every woman should understand the importance of her heart health. Women often think breast cancer is their biggest health risk, but heart disease kills more women than all forms of cancer combined. 
What’s the key to heart health for women? A healthy diet and regular exercise go a long way, but it’s also important to understand all your risk factors, the symptoms of heart disease in women, and why you need to stay in touch with your doctor. Keep these six heart health tips in mind so you can help manage your risks and know what to do if you have symptoms.
1: Know Heart Disease Risk Factors
First, understand your own risk factors. That means knowing what normal blood pressure, normal cholesterol, and normal blood glucose are and finding out your numbers. Women have many of the same risk factors for heart disease as men, like age, family history, smoking, and conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and diabetes. 
You might also be at a higher risk for heart disease if you:
• Started your period at a young age 
• Had pregnancy-related conditions like gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, or preeclampsia
• Went through menopause at an early age 
• Are post-menopausal
• Have medical conditions like lupus, chronic kidney disease, polycystic ovarian syndrome, depression, or post-traumatic stress disorder
Remember, the more risk factors you have, the higher your risk can be, so make sure you talk to your doctor about your complete medical history.
2: Get an Annual Checkup
Women are often busy caring for others, however it’s important to take care of yourself as well. An annual check-up with your primary care doctor gives you a chance to get important facts about your health, to talk about any symptoms you feel, and to ask your doctor what you can do to manage your risks.
3: Make Heart-Healthy Choices
A healthy lifestyle is the foundation for heart health for women. You can make healthy choices like:
• Eating a diet that includes a variety of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean poultry, fish, and low-fat dairy products
• Getting regular physical activity
• Quitting smoking and using tobacco products
• Finding healthy ways to cope with stress, like physical activity, hobbies, or meditation
• Getting regular check-ups to keep an eye on your risk factors
• If you’ve been diagnosed with heart disease, following your treatment plan, including making lifestyle changes and staying on your medicines
4: Listen to Your Body
Most people know that chest pain, shortness of breath, and unusual fatigue can be signs of heart disease. Other early symptoms of heart attack can also include:
• Fluttering in the chest or heart palpitations
• Long-lasting cough, especially a dry cough
• Shortness of breath
• Anxiety, intense fear, or confusion
• Swelling of your feet or ankles
• Weight gain accompanied by swelling in the legs
• Prolonged insomnia or sleep disturbances
If you get heart-related symptoms when you’re angry, upset, or stressed, talk to your doctor. This can be a sign of heart disease, so don’t dismiss it as anxiety, or that you’re overly emotional.
5: Know the Signs of a Heart Attack
Along with knowing your personal risk factors, it is important to know the signs and symptoms of heart disease. Women can have classic symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, and arm pain during a heart attack, but many women can also have milder symptoms including:
• Pressure, squeezing, heaviness, or pain in your chest that comes and goes or lasts more than a few minutes
• Breaking out in a cold sweat
• Nausea, flu-like symptoms, or indigestion
• Stomach pain or abdominal pressure
• Feeling dizzy, light-headed, or fainting
• Arm pain or soreness
• Pain in lower or upper back
• Pain that spreads to your shoulder, neck, and jaw
• Unexplained fatigue
If you think you or someone else is having a heart attack, call 911 right away. Paramedics are trained to treat people on the way to the hospital and an ambulance offers the safest, fastest way to get there. Don’t drive yourself to the hospital or ask someone to drive you.
6: Trust Your Instinct
If you think something is wrong, do not hesitate to talk to your doctor or get emergency medical help. It’s always better to seek treatment than to ignore symptoms and have a life-threatening event like a heart attack or stroke.
For women, the risk of heart problems is often overlooked. February is American Heart Month, and it is an important reminder to take steps toward reducing your risk of heart disease.
 
(Sources: American Heart Association, FDA-Women’s Heart Health, Mayo Clinic, UPMC Heart and Vascular Institute)