Take It to Heart

                                  What a heart-on is:

"The place where intuition is born, the message that comes from the heart, the place where the heart turns everything else on, the expression of the authentic self, the ultimate 'aha!' of the heart and soul...I always said that my heart was a real heart-on, that is, up until the day my heart turned off."

                                                                                  -Pamela Serure




Most of us women never learned to take care of ourselves. We are savvy when it comes to everyone else's needs, but not our own. It is not our fault really. Unlike men,  even while still in diapers (some of us), we are taught to put the needs of others first before our own. Especially if you are the eldest girl in the family. While I have met some very selfish and self centered women, it is not the norm. I do not encourage anyone to be this way, but I do think it is time that we start to put our needs first.

Did you know that the leading cause of death for women is not cancer, not even breast cancer, but heart failure? A big part of the reason is because women are under a whole lot more stress than they were years ago and do not take time out from caring for others in order to care for their own needs.  Some women don't look after themselves even when they are diagnosed with a serious illness such as heart disease or cancer. Do to a scare I experienced these last couple of weeks, I am writing this article today. Not just in hopes that other women will wake up, but also as a reminder to myself that no matter what, I must come first. Regardless of the opinion of others. Specifically I will be writing about heart disease. No, this is not a 60-year-old man disease. This is happening to women under thirty who do not meet the the stereotype of a heart disease patient.

Facts About Heart Disease:

• It is the #1 killer in women, beating cancer, even breast cancer.
• Women are beating men in heart related deaths by at least 20% and the numbers are growing.
• Heart disease does not only happen to older, overweight and unhealthy women.
• It is difficult for doctors to detect heart disease in women because the symptoms are different.
• Some of the symptoms that women with heart problems experience are: Shortness of breath, chronic fatigue, dizziness, chest pains, mood swings, hot flashes and dry cough.
• The reasons women do not experience the dramatic heart symptoms like the men you see on TV who have a heart attack: 1. Women have more fatty tissue than men in the breast area. 2. Women have a higher tolerance to pain. Perhaps mother nature made us this way to handle child bearing.
• Often women are having a heart attack right in front of a doctor and he/she will not be aware of it even after a routine heart diagnosis normally given to men to check for heart disease.

Reasons why heart disease is even more dangerous for women than men and why we are outnumbering men when it comes to heart disease related ndeaths:

• Women do not stop. Even when they are diagnosed with an illness, much less when they are feeling fatigue or have a cough or some chest pains. This is especially the case if you are a codependent caretaker or type A personality (AKA workaholic).
• Stress contributes to heart disease and heart attacks. Women in our society are under extreme stress. Not only are most having to be cobreadwinners, but are still doing more of their share when it comes to housekeeping, cooking and child raising/caring.  So not only are women experiencing all day stress at work (some even work overtime), but when done they continue working at their second job at home.
• It is so difficult to detect heart disease in women and some doctors are not aware that the symptoms of heart disease are different in women than they are in men. Women are often sent home when they experience any of the symptoms mentioned above. Some women having a heart attack right in front of the doctor are sent home because of misdiagnosis.  They are told it was just anxiety, panic attacks, or are even  accused of being a hypochondriac.
• Many women are misdiagnosed with having menopause, perimenopause,or postmenopause. Menopause,perimenopause, postmenopause symptoms are similar to the heart disease symptoms women experience such as mood swings, depression, hot flashes,etc.

At risk women:

Physical Factors

• Are you overweight?
• Do you carry most of your excess weight in the stomach?
• Do you eat processed and/or fast food more than twice a week/ Have you been doing so for years, or perhaps your entire life?
• Are potatoes, carrots, and other starchy or sugary vegetables your primary sources of vegetable matter?
• Do you have high blood pressure?
• Do you have high cholesterol levels?
• Do you sweat heavily during or after the slightest physical exertion?
• Do you often have gastric trouble, acid reflux, or heartburn?
• Are you diabetic?
• Do you smoke? Have you ever smoked for more than a year?
• Do you have a family history of heart disease?
• Are you menopause,postmenopause,or perimenopause?
• Do you take hormones?
• Do you ever experience pain the jaw, neck, or shoulder region that is unexplained?
• Are you an emotional eater who prefers fatty foods?

Emotional Factors

• Have you been hiding something in your life for a long time?
• Have you had more than four unsuccessful love affairs/relationships?
• Do you have blue moods more than three times a week?
• Does something feel incomplete inside you no matter what you do?
• Do you dislike your body in whole or in parts?
• Do you admonish yourself for most of your actions?
• Do you often feel anxious,angry, or sad-or all three.
• Have you been depressed for more than three years?
• Is loneliness a factor in your life?
• Have you been heartbroken more than twice?
• Do you have fits of unexplained anger or rage?
• Do you feel as though your life has not turned out the way you wanted or expected to?

Mental Factors:

• Do you feel as though you're never satisfied?
• Do you drive your body too hard?
• Do you need to be in control?
• Do you fly off the handle easily?
• Do you overthink each situation?
• Is everything you do wrought with stress?
• Do you feel as though there is never enough time?
• Do you have an "off" button inside yourself that you can't seem to find?
• Do you worry endlessly about everything?
• Do you have a sense of futility about the future? 

If you answered yes to three or more to any of the above, please schedule an appointment with your doctor. Trust your intuition. Even if the doctor says you are just experiencing anxiety, let him/her know that you would still like to get checked for heart disease. Also, a good book I recommend that you get in order to learn more about heart disease in women is called, Take it to Heart, by Pamela Serure. This is where I got most of the information for the article and all of the questions above. Pamela is an a example of a woman with the appearance of perfect health: thin, young, ate healthy  foods (she was known as a juice lady for celebrities), and active. Yet she almost died of heart failure. The author actually was a health advisor for celebrities. No one could believe she had heart problems, much less that she needed two open heart surgeries in order to live.

I do not mean to scare anyone. Well actually I do. I worry that you may also be a workaholic/ caregiver like myself, and require to be scared strait in order to start taking care of yourself. Do what it takes to be there for you, even if it means allowing others to be there for you for a change.

"Fact: Heart disease is the leading killer of women in the United States, taking many times more lives than breast cancer, Breast cancer is a devastating disease, but you can't deny the numbers. Heart disease kills 499,000 women each year (compared with 432,000 men). Breast cancer kills 40,000 women each year."- Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D