Women and Heart Disease: Have You Checked Your Heart Lately?

February is American Heart Month, and Feb.3 is National Wear Red Day. Women and Heart Disease is a serious topic that gets more attention during this time, although many of us may try not to dwell on the topic too much.

It is scary. We are too busy. We will learn more about our heart health later. We are just fine.

Excuses. I am guilty of using all of the above more than once.

But women need to be much more aware and proactive when it comes to our heart health.

We know that more women die from heart disease than from all cancers combined. But how many times have we read or heard this fact, and then tucked it away in the back of our minds somewhere without really thinking about what that means to each of us?

Do you know if you are at risk for a heart attack, stroke or heart disease?

Have you really changed your eating habits yet- is your kitchen filled with heart healthy foods, or do you know which foods even meet the criteria?

Should I ask about your exercise plan and how that is going?

If you are anything like me, then your answers to those questions are not what they should be.

The fact is that most women will have have at least one risk factor for heart disease even if they don't know it. And whether we like it or not, how we live our daily lives will affect our risk for heart disease greatly. Things like sitting at our desk for hours without getting up and moving is a big red flag for heart problems later. And drinking soda, eating those sugary desserts....very bad. Many habits we have or have had, we now know are bad for our hearts, the problem is that we do not always make conscious efforts to change those habits.

But making the right lifestyle choices - not smoking, watching our weight, exercising every day, and eating a heart-healthy diet - can help significantly lower our heart disease risk. We have the power - we just need to use it. And don't get caught up in the thought that you are still too young to worry about heart disease - because. you. are. not.

"Heart disease is often perceived as an "older woman's disease," and it is the leading cause of death among women aged 65 years and older. However, heart disease is the third leading cause of death among women aged 25–44 years and the second leading cause of death among women aged 45–64 years. Remember that many cases of heart disease can be prevented! - CDC "

So here are some great websites to visit as American Heart Month approaches, where you can learn about women and heart disease, why heart disease is the number one killer of women, heart-healthy food choices we need to be making every day, and the risk factors that can increase our chances for heart attacks, strokes and other heart problems - and what we can do about them.

HeartHealthyWomen

The American Heart Association

Go Red For Women

CDC

 Go Red For Women (an awesome place to get started ) is offering a free online program that should help you kick-start tour heart health regime if you haven't yet.  Go Red For Women's BetterU 12-week online nutrition and fitness program will focus on a different area of your health each week, and give you step-by-step guidance, motivation and encouragement. You will get access to expert tips, an online journal, and a downloadable BetterU coaching tool. They also give heart-healthy strategies for women in their twenties through their 60's.

Do you want to know if you are at risk, and how a high of a risk, for heart disease? Heart Healthy Women has a free online assessment tool to help you calculate your risk, and help identify areas in your lifestyle that can be modified so as to reduce your risk.

And at The American Heart Association website, you'll find the very latest recommendations, updates and advice for women and heart disease prevention.

Please, take some time to check on your heart. As women, we tend to be the nurturers and take care of everyone else but ourselves. We need to remember to take the time for ourselves and take charge of our own health. And don't forget to wear red this Feb.3 to show your support in the fight against heart disease in women.

Persistent Cough? Low Iron Levels Could Be Culprit

I found this to be an interesting piece of health information for women. It seems that many women simply do not get enough iron in their diets, which can lead to feeling lethargic and unfocused, since your blood needs iron to transport oxygen to all of your body’s cells, including those in your muscles and your brain. Skimping on iron may also be one reason why some women are not able to shake a chronic cough.

A recent study suggests that iron deficiency damages the tissues that line the mouth and nose, back of the throat and trachea, making them more vulnerable to irritants and more prone to ­inflammation.

Interestingly enough, women that were studied in the research project and had persistent coughs that would not go away, had these coughs clear up after taking an iron supplement for three to four months.

This research could help explain why women are more likely than men to suffer unexplained coughs. Women are more likely than men to have insufficient iron stores because women lose the mineral through menstruation.

Tips for getting iron in your diet:

There are two forms of iron in the diet: heme and nonheme. In foods from animal sources, such as meat, poultry and fish, about half the iron is heme iron and the rest is nonheme. Iron from dairy foods, eggs and plant-based foods is entirely nonheme. Iron is better absorbed by the body from heme sources. Vitamin C also improves absorption of both forms of iron when consumed at the same meal. Fortified products, such as breads, cereals and breakfast bars, can contribute significant amounts of nonheme iron to the diet as well.

Do You Know The Stroke Symptons For Women?

Did you know that women may have different symptons when having a stroke than men? A recent study looked at the medical records of women treated in an emergency room. Among women who were later treated for stroke, the study showed that many of them reported symptoms that were different from the typical stroke symptoms. This may cause women to delay seeking help. A woman coming into the emergency department with facial weakness is quickly sent off for brain imaging, but when the main complaint is shortness of breath or fainting, it may be that neither the woman nor even emergency room personnel immediately suspect a stroke.

In addition to or instead of the traditional stroke signs, a woman may have:

* Loss of consciousness or fainting
* Shortness of breath
* Falls or accidents
* Sudden pain in the face, chest, arms or legs
* Seizure
* Sudden hiccups
* Sudden nausea
* Sudden tiredness
* Sudden pounding or racing heartbeat (palpitations)

While this new research is important, the traditional stroke warning signs are still the most common symptoms of stroke. Know the classic stroke symptoms:

* Sudden numbness, weakness, or paralysis of your face, arm or leg — usually on one side of your body
* Sudden difficulty speaking or understanding speech (aphasia)
* Sudden blurred, double or decreased vision
* Sudden dizziness, loss of balance or loss of coordination
* A sudden, severe "bolt out of the blue" headache or an unusual headache, which may be accompanied by a stiff neck, facial pain, pain between your eyes, vomiting or altered consciousness
* Confusion, or problems with memory, spatial orientation or perception
The new findings are a helpful reminder — to both you and your doctor — that women may have different symptoms.
Know the warning signs

If you suspect that you or someone else is having a stroke, don't hesitate. Rapid diagnosis and treatment improve your chances of survival and decrease your risk of permanent disability. To help you remember the classic symptoms what to look for, think FAST: face, arms, speech and time.

* Face — Does one side of the face drop when asked to smile?
* Arms — When raising both arms, does one arm drift downward?
* Speech — When trying to repeat a simple sentence, are the words slurred or incorrect?
* Time — Rush to emergency care immediately to get evaluated and treated.

As more research is done on women and stroke, primary care nurses and doctors are becoming more familiar with the stroke symptoms and signs that are unique to women.

If you're at risk of a stroke, your best defense is to know both the classic signs and symptoms and those that are unique to women. If you have an