WomenCausetheirownHeartHealthIssues

“WomenCausetheirownHeartHealthIssues” EnglishComposition1–Task3 XXXX XXXX BS-BusinessManagement,April1,20XX XXXXX XXXXX

Heartdisease,andspecificallyheartattacks,isthenumberonekillerofwomeninthe UnitedStates.(LeadingCausesofDeathinFemales,2014(currentlisting),n.d)Whatis unfortunateisthatinmanycasescardiovasculardiseasecanbeeffectivelytreatedoreven prevented.Sowhydowomenavoidlookingaftertheirhealthattheriskofdeathfromheart disease?Theunderlyingcausesarehighbloodpressure(hypertension),highcholesterol, smoking,familyhistory,diabetes,andobesity.(BenjaminWedro,n.d.)Exceptforfamily history,thesecausescanbemitigatedwithproperhealthcare.Ignoringordismissingthe symptomsofheartattacksorstroke,notseekingmedicalhelpimmediately,andnottaking enoughpreventivecareofthemselves,makesheartdiseasetheleadingcauseofdeathforwomen intheUnitedStates.Whileheartdiseasecanbegeneticorenvironmental,whennotaddressed,ithas catastrophicconsequencesforwomeninAmerica.Ignoringordismissingsymptomsthatoccur whenawomanishavingaheartattackisamajorreasonwomenwilldiefromaheartattack.“Theconcernforwomenisthatheartattacksymptomsarecommonlymoresubtleandharderto detectthanthetypicalchestpainmenexperience.Thesesubtlesymptomsincludesweatingor shortnessofbreath,unusualfatigue,andneckorjawpain.”(LeadingCausesofDeathin Females,2014(currentlisting),n.d)Eachofthesesymptomsontheirowncanbeattributedto otherailments.Shortnessofbreathmaybeignoredbecauseawomanmovedaroundtoo quicklydoingchoresorshoveledthedrivewayforthefirsttimeinayear;bothcouldcause shortnessofbreathbutthiscanalsobeasigntheheartisindicatingitisindistress.Sweating canbecauseofthisintenseshortactivity,especiallyifawomanisnotusuallyveryphysically activeandcanconsequentlybeignoredyetisanothersymptomofheartdistress.Ifawomanis

sufferingfromunusualfatigue,perhapsshehasn’tbeengettingenoughsleeporhasbeen workingextrahardrecently.Andfinally,neckandjawpainisacommonsymptomascribedto stressoranxiety,forwhichheartfailurecaneasilybeoverlookedasacause.(Cardiovascular Disease&Diabetes,2016)Whenwomenignorethesefundamentalsymptomsincaseswhere theheartistellingthebodythereissomethingwrong,aheartattackorstrokemaybeinevitable.Inadditiontoawomanignoringthesymptomsherbodypresents,thetreatmentof womenbythemedicalprofessionrelatedtothesesymptomscanalsocausewomentodownplay therisksofheartfailure.InanarticleontheAmericanHeartAssociationwebsite,itis suggestedthatSilentHeartAttacksisaphenomenonmorecommoninwomenthaninmen.Itis pointedoutthatwomenandtheirphysiciansmaybemorelikelytochalkupsymptomsofa silentheartattacktoanxietyanddismissthem.(SilentHeartAttacks,SymptomsandRisks, n.d.) Disregardinguncommonindicatorsofheartdistresscauseswomentobelessconcerned withheartdiseasethanisprudent.Asecondmajorcauseofheartfailureinwomenisnotimmediatelyseekingmedicalhelp.(LeadingCausesofDeathinFemales,2014(currentlisting),n.d)Recognizingthesymptomsof aheartattackandrespondingquicklyisessentialtoensuresurvivalandtominimizedamageto theheartmuscle.Womendonotrealizetheyareexperiencingamedicalemergencyandmay attributewarningsignstoanxiety.Onceatahospitalorclinic,womenmustmakeitclearthey thinktheymaybehavingaheartattackorstrokeandnotananxietyattackorotherissue.(Silent HeartAttacks,SymptomsandRisks,n.d.)Today,itiswellknownthatchestpainfromheart failure(strokeorattack),thensubsequentlytakinganaspirin,andfinallyseekingimmediate medicalhelpcanlimitdamagetotheheartfromastrokeorheartattack.Heartfailureinwomen iscausedbecausetheylimittheirviewofheartfailuretochestpainandthuswilltooquickly

dismisstheneedforimmediatemedicalintervention.Thiscauseswomentorespond inappropriatelytotheirneedformedicalhelpandresultsinthemedicalprofessionalsoputting lesssignificanceontheeventtothedetrimentofthepatient.Thisisasilentbutsignificantcause ofheartfailureinwomen.Next,womendonottakepreventivecaretoensuretheirheartishealthy.Hypertension, smoking,andpoordietarecausesofheartfailureyetwomenareinclinedtoignoretheillaffect thesefactorscanhaveontheirhealth.Hypertensionisknownasthe“silentkiller.”(SilentHeart Attacks,SymptomsandRisks,n.d.)Itiscalledthisbecauseapersoncannotfeelthepressureof thebloodasitflowsthroughthehumanbody.Hypertensionisdiagnosedwhensystolic(the bloodflowingintotheheart)anddiastolic,(thepressureofbloodflowingoutoftheheart)is consistentlyabove120/90.Overtime,thisconditioncausestheheartmusclewalltothicken causingincreasedbloodpressureandthecyclerepeatsagainuntiltheheartcannolongerpump enoughbloodthroughthebody.(CardiologistDr.DavidScherer,CardiovascularConsultantsof NorthTexas,personalcommunication,June2016).Aftertoomuchdamageeitherastrokeor heartattackmayoccur;andbothcanleadtodeath.Smokingcigarettes,cigars,orothertobaccoproductsraisestriglycerides,oneofthefats inblood,lowersgoodcholesterol(HDL).Italsoaffectstheblooddirectlybymakingitthicker andgummyandmorelikelytoclots,whichcanhinderbloodflowtotheheartandbrain.Itwill damagethecellsthatlinethebloodvessels,andincreasesthebuildupoffat,cholesterol,and calciuminbloodvessels.Thiswillinturncausearteriosclerosis,whatiscommonlycalled hardeningofthearteries.(SmokingandTobaccoUse,n.d).Smokingisachoiceand,although addictive,isavicethatcausesserioushearthealthissues.Likehypertension,smokingcanalso leadtoanearlydeathfromheartdiseaseoncetheheartisexcessivelydamagedandunableto