Tag Archives: women

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WOMEN AND HOLIDAY STRESS…TIRED, CHEST PAIN, LEG PAIN, HEART ATTACK


IT’S THE HOLIDAY SEASON AND HERE COMES ALL THE STRESS!!!

ARE YOU DREAMING OF DANCING LOLLIPOPS AND WALTZING WITH GINGERBREAD MEN?

I highly doubt you are feeling all warm and dreamy about Christmas at this point. D-Day is tomorrow and you are behind on getting all the goodies under the tree. Baking cookies and treats for your spectacular day to celebrate with family and friends.

It’s time to take a minute to check on yourself… Litterly sit yourself down and take a 5 minute break. If you are feeling tired or even exhausted to the point where you don’t feel well.

Don’t wait to get help if you experience any of these heart attack warning signs. Some heart attacks are sudden and intense. But most start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Pay attention to your body and call 911 if you experience:

DONT HESITATE CALL 911

Symptoms vary between men and women

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain (angina) 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.

Learn about the warning signs of heart attack in women.

  1. 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.
  2. Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
  3. Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
  4. Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
  5. 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.

Watch video: “Just A Little Heart Attack” – a short film directed by and starring Elizabeth Banks

This is just a few of the warning signs prior to a heart attack.

  • Leg pain night or day
  • Sudden Rise in Blood Pressure
  • Shortness of Breath

ideal blood pressure chart 70

Top 10 Myths About Cardiovascular Disease

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American Heart Association… 10 MYTHS Of HEART DISEASE

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Top 10 Myths About Cardiovascular Disease

  • “I’m too young to worry about heart disease.” How you live now affects your risk for cardiovascular diseases later in life. As early as childhood and adolescence, plaque can start accumulating in the arteries and later lead to clogged arteries. One in three Americans has cardiovascular disease, but not all of them are senior citizens. Even young and middle-aged people can develop heart problems – especially now that obesity, type 2 diabetes and other risk factors are becoming more common at a younger age.
  • “I’d know if I had high blood pressure because there would be warning signs.” High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because you don’t usually know you have it. You may never experience symptoms, so don’t wait for your body to alert you that there’s a problem. The way to know if you have high blood pressure is to check your numbers with a simple blood pressure test. Early treatment of high blood pressure is critical because, if left untreated, it can cause heart attack, stroke, kidney damage and other serious health problems. Learn how high blood pressure is diagnosed.
  • “I’ll know when I’m having a heart attack because I’ll have chest pain.” Not necessarily. Although it’s common to have chest pain or discomfort, a heart attack may cause subtle symptoms. These include shortness of breath, nausea, feeling lightheaded, and pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the jaw, neck or back. Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, call 911 immediately. Learn you risk of heart attack today!
  • “Diabetes won’t threaten my heart as long as I take my medication.” Treating diabetes can help reduce your risk for or delay the development of cardiovascular diseases. But even when blood sugar levels are under control, you’re still at increased risk for heart disease and stroke. That’s because the risk factors that contribute to diabetes onset also make you more likely to develop cardiovascular disease. These overlapping risk factors include high blood pressure, overweight and obesity, physical inactivity and smoking.
  • “Heart disease runs in my family, so there’s nothing I can do to prevent it.” Although people with a family history of heart disease are at higher risk, you can take steps to dramatically reduce your risk. Create an action plan to keep your heart healthy by tackling these to-dos: get active; control cholesterol; eat better; manage blood pressure; maintain a healthy weight; control blood sugar; and stop smoking.
  • “I don’t need to have my cholesterol checked until I’m middle-aged.” The American Heart Association recommends you start getting your cholesterol checked every 5 years starting at age 20. It’s a good idea to start having a cholesterol test even earlier if your family has a history of heart disease. Children in these families can have high cholesterol levels, putting them at increased risk for developing heart disease as adults. You can help yourself and your family by eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly.
  • “Heart failure means the heart stops beating.” The heart suddenly stops beating during cardiac arrest, not heart failure. With heart failure, the heart keeps working, but it doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. It can cause shortness of breath, swelling in the feet and ankles or persistent coughing and wheezing. During cardiac arrest, a person loses consciousness and stops normal breathing.
  • “This pain in my legs must be a sign of aging. I’m sure it has nothing to do with my heart.” Leg pain felt in the muscles could be a sign of a condition called peripheral artery disease. PAD results from blocked arteries in the legs caused by plaque buildup. The risk for heart attack or stroke increases for people with PAD.
  • “My heart is beating really fast. I must be having a heart attack.” Some variation in your heart rate is normal. Your heart rate speeds up during exercise or when you get excited, and slows down when you’re sleeping. Most of the time, a change in your heartbeat is nothing to worry about. But sometimes, it can be a sign of arrhythmia, an abnormal or irregular heartbeat. Most arrhythmias are harmless, but some can last long enough to impact how well the heart works and require treatment.
  • “I should avoid exercise after having a heart attack.” No! As soon as possible, get moving with a plan approved for you! Research shows that heart attack survivors who are regularly physically active and make other heart-healthy changes live longer than those who don’t. People with chronic conditions typically find that moderate-intensity activity is safe and beneficial. The American Heart Association recommends at least two and a half hours of moderate intensity physical activity each week For Overall Cardiovascular Health. Find the help you need by joining a cardiac rehabilitation program, but first consult your healthcare provider for advice on developing a physical activity plan tailored to your needs.
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AMERICA, CODE BLUE… Young Pregnant Women Down!

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USA Reports: Cardiac Arrest In Younger Pregnant Women Is On The Rise

BY: Chad Rhodes

NYU – School Of Medicine has conducted a study for the past 12 years on Heart Disease in pregnant women. Between 2002 and 2014 Cardiac Arrest has been the leading cause of death for 25% of young pregnant women. Heart Disease has been the number one cause of death for women for many years, but for younger women this is a drastic change compared to earlier years.

The disease in young women has been increasing and raising great concerns not only for the mother, but for the health of the unborn child also.  The risk factors for heart disease continue to increase in the United States. “High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes are all higher in our younger women. Stress is another factor in High Risk pregnancy.

Rise in obesity in society plays a big part. Between more junk food available and the convenience of the “Drive Thru food”. Adding yeast to many packaged food and many drinks also.

Don’t get me started on Soda. This is a heart Killer, Diet KILLER.

You could ask if the younger women are getting enough “Quality” exercise, food and fluid intake. We all know with our busy lives exercise is the last thing we want to do after work all day. Making a wholesome meal for the family is about all the energy you can muster up. You end up asking yourself, where do I fit the time in?

The family entrees from the frozen section become your main staples. The concentrated amounts of sodium and preservatives is off the charts. Not only are you adding all this to your body that is creating it’s own voyage of problems to your heart risk factors.

Exercise does not have to mean Hitting the Gym 3 times a week. You can walk, band workout and create a new healthy diet. Include fresh home cooked meals that are lean, ending bad calorie intake.

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Healthy Ingredients

Get the kids to help you in the kitchen with dinner. Bringing your kids up with healthy choices makes their lifestyle an asset to their healthy future. Kids are great for washing the vegetables and mixing things up relieves you from 30 minutes of stress and time.

Most parents can not spend hours away from the kids, house or work. My solution is to incorporate the kids activities with yours.

Weekends are a good place to start. Take the kids for a walk every morning, that gets all of you on the road to increased blood flow through your body. As we all know the heart needs lots of exercise and if you sit for 8 hours a day, you need this more than those who stand up for work.

The U.K. Side

BJOG: UK Reports, Nearly one in four cardiac arrests in pregnancy are associated with complications of obstetric anesthesia.

Nearly one in four cardiac arrests in pregnancy are associated with complications of obstetric anesthesia, according to a new study published today (Friday 24 February) in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (BJOG).

The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of cardiac arrest in the UK obstetric population, describe how cardiac arrest in pregnancy is managed and report maternal and fetal outcomes. Using the UK Obstetric Surveillance System (UKOSS), researchers identified 66 women who had experienced a cardiac arrest in pregnancy among 2.3 million who gave birth between 2011 and 2014.

The three year study shows that maternal cardiac arrest in the UK is very rare (a 1 in 36,000 risk) and that maternal survival rates of 58% were possible due to timely resuscitation and rapid perimortem caesarean section (PMCS). In the 66 women involved in the study, cardiac output was restored in 48 and 49 women had a PMCS. The results also show that time from collapse to PMCS was significantly shorter in women who survived. 58 babies were delivered, 12 were stillborn.

Results found that the main association of collapse among antenatal women was obstetric anesthesia, given as an epidural, spinal or combined spinal-epidural. 16 (24%) of the women in the study had a cardiac arrest following obstetric anesthesia (all survived).

Meanwhile, 12 of the 16 women (75%) who had a cardiac arrest following obstetric anesthesia were obese (defined as having a Body Mass Index of 30kg/m2 or more). This supports the view that obese pregnant women are at a higher risk of complications of anesthesia, as the increased body fat makes procedures technically more difficult.

The study also shows that hypovolaemia (a decrease in blood volume), venous thromboembolism (a formation of blood clots in the vein) and amniotic fluid embolism (when amniotic fluid or other debris makes its way into the mother’s blood) are the main non-anaesthetic causes of cardiac arrest. As recommended in the most recent MBRRACE-UK report, there is a pressing need to improve systems focused on preventing and responding appropriately to these complications.”

In addition, of the 66 women who arrested in pregnancy, 27 had co-morbidities which may have contributed to maternal arrest. The most common problems reported were asthma, mental health problems, cardiac disease, hypertension, hematological, autoimmune and endocrine problems.

The researchers suggest a revision of multi-disciplinary training for healthcare professionals, and a revision of supervision and support on the labor ward.

Dr Virginia Beckett, lead author and consultant obstetrician and gynecologist at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said:

“Our study shows that management of cardiac arrest in pregnancy in the UK, following the introduction of training such as the Managing Obstetric Emergencies and Trauma (MOET) course, has resulted in a 58% maternal survival rate. The main reasons for this appear to be the involvement of senior medical professionals and swift PMCS.

“American data shows that up to one third of women who arrest die with their baby still in utero. In the UK, we take a very different approach; in this study, PMCS was carried out in 49 (74%) of the 66 women involved (only two women remained undelivered when they should have had a PMCS). This is close to a five-fold improvement. Rapid PMCS saves women’s lives.

“However, our study shows that the single, biggest association of maternal cardiac arrest is a complication of anesthesia. Further research is needed into this finding which presents an opportunity to reduce the incidence of maternal cardiac in the UK.

Mr Edward Morris, Vice President for Clinical Quality at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG), said:

“This study demonstrates the importance of robust multi-disciplinary risk assessment processes in antenatal care, as well as team training to manage obstetric emergencies. It is also a great example of the value of collecting high quality data through UKOSS to improve outcomes for patients.

“Childbirth can be unpredictable and timely access to specialist care is critical; especially for those considered at higher risk due to per-existing health conditions. This data supports existing evidence that maternal cardiac arrest is becoming more common, and there may be opportunities to further improve survival rates through detailed analysis of this data.

“Obesity has reached pandemic proportions globally, with around one in five pregnant women in the UK considered obese. This increases their risk of miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death as well gestational diabetes, blood clots, per-eclampsia, more complicated labors, and severe bleeding after the birth. Although they survived, a high proportion of the women who had cardiac arrests following obstetric anesthesia were obese.

“Maintaining a normal body weight can reduce the risk of complications for both mother and baby. Women should keep active and eat well prior to conception and limit weight gain during pregnancy in order to improve their own health and provide their baby with the best start in life.”

Mr Michael Masch, Deputy Editor-in-chief of BJOG, added:

“Although about 60 percent of women survived, and most received timely resuscitation and perimortem caesarean section, this study highlights the necessity for regular multi-disciplinary training in specific arrest management. Further research into the links between anesthesia and cardiac arrest is also warranted.”

Ends

For media inquiries or copies of the study please contact the RCOG press office on 020 7772 6357 or email .

Notes to editors:

VA Beckett, M Knight, and P Sharpe. The CAPS Study: Incidence, management and outcomes of cardiac arrest in pregnancy in the UK: a prospective, descriptive study. BJOG 2017: DOI: 10.1111/1471-0528.14521

The article can be found here: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.14521/full

This study was funded by a grant from Wellbeing of Women.

BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology is owned by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (RCOG) but is editorially independent and published monthly by Wiley. The journal features original, peer-reviewed, high-quality medical research in all areas of obstetrics and gynecology worldwide. Please quote ‘BJOG’ or ‘BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology’ when referring to the journal. To keep up to date with our latest papers, follow @BJOGTweets.

The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is a medical charity that champions the provision of high quality women’s healthcare in the UK and beyond. It is dedicated to encouraging the study and advancing the science and practice of obstetrics and gynecology. It does this through postgraduate medical education and training and the publication of clinical guidelines and reports on aspects of the specialty and service provision.