Today is National Wear Red Day. You may have seen the ads and Facebook group showing women wearing bright red dresses or tops. The American Heart Association sponsors this day of awareness to help women learn how to prevent heart disease.
Cardiovascular disease is the number 1 killer of women and kills one in three. Women need to learn how heart disease may present itself differently in women than men. Research shows that 80% of heart disease can be prevented.
Go Red For Women has a wonderful website that is helpful to us all. We can learn the facts about cardiovascular disease and also ways to prevent heart disease and strokes.
It’s so important to have regular doctor exams to be screened for cardiovascular issues. Getting to the bottom of heart problems is not always easy, and regular exams are necessary. Women should also learn the signs of a heart attack or stroke: If you have any of these, you should call 911 and go to the hospital.
Heart Attack Signs:
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
- As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
Stroke Signs:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing or blurred vision in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
If you’re ready to join in and wear red today, you can post your picture on the Go Red for Women facebook page.
Disclaimer: I’m not a medical professional. If you have a medical concern, please consult your personal physician.
@2020, copyright Lisa Ehrman
