As you may know, February is American Heart Month.
Do you know the signs of a heart attack? Do those dramatic scenes in a movie come to mind where the man clutches his chest and falls to the ground?
Both men and women can indeed experience intense chest pressure, but WOMEN CAN EXPERIENCE A HEART ATTACK WITHOUT CHEST PRESSURE! Instead, women may feel dizziness, extreme fatigue, lightheadedness or fainting, shortness breath, pressure or pain in the lower chest or upper abdomen, or extreme fatigue.
Even though heart disease is the Number 1 killer of women in the United States, women often attribute the symptoms to the flu, acid reflux, or normal aging. Check out the American Heart Association website www.heart.org for more information.
The good news is that 80% of cardiovascular diseases may be preventable with education and action. The American Heart Association recommends five 30 minute moderate exercise sessions each week. While this may seem daunting, it is important to note that these sessions can be broken up into two or three 10 or 15 minute segments throughout the day. As I always say, “A little bit of something is better than a whole lot of nothing!”
Keep moving for a healthy heart!