Happy Mom

If mom is healthy, entire family will be happy and healthy.  This Mother’s Day one gift you can give your mom is keeping her heart healthy and safe.

There is a growing concern about the increase in heart conditions and heart attack in women. A heart attack in woman is different from the “classic” heart attack. Understanding and educating about the heart attack symptoms may help you and your mom.

Heart attack in medical terms known as “Myocardial infarction” When most people think of heart attacks, they picture sudden and traumatic chest pain. A heart attack doesn’t always look like the typical movie type heart attack, and you might need to be aware of symptoms that are more common for woman. Heart attack symptoms can be mild and have different symptoms.

What are the common symptoms of heart attack in woman?

Women often ignore their heart attack symptoms. Extreme chest pressure is one of this symptom.

• The most common symptom remains chest pain or discomfort in the chest
• Squeezing feeling in the chest that lasts for long or it may go away and come back.
• Even though, there is no work, suddenly short of breath, or sweat can happen: Difficulty to communicate orally due to inability to catch oxygen. This is one of the most common early heart attack signs in women.
• Increase in fatigues during a normal day and not sleeping at night: More than 70 percent of women suffer from extreme fatigue before a heart attack. Flu-like exhaustion is also experienced by women. This fatigue is different from chronic fatigue that is caused by hormonal imbalance.
• Not sleeping at night and disturbance in sleep: A study conducted by Cardiovascular experts states that almost half of women who had a heart attack experienced sleep disturbances beforehand.
• Increase in neck, back and jaw pain which worsens after working out along with pain in arms: Women may not feel numbness in chest but may feel tightness running along their jaw and going down the neck.
• In women pain in arms can happen in one or both arms.
• Unusual nausea or vomiting – this is red flag.

Do you know? Most common reason for heart attack in women is anxiety, stress and pressure.  In fact, anxiety is also sign of sign of heart attack in women, more than 30% of women get this symptom.

 How you can help your mom to stay healthy?

• Active life style: Encourage her to go for walks around the park. Let her socialize, go out with friends for walk, yoga, gym, cycling or dance class. Once a while accompany her to these classes and boost her confidence.
• Help her to lower stress level: Talk to her as a friend and listen to her. Give her suggestions and take her mind out of worries. Teach her meditation or join her in prayers and meditation.
• Sleep is essential: Help mom with house work as much as possible. Encourage her to take a nap for at least half an hour in the afternoon. If she is working mom, help her in her morning house work and take part in dinner preparation. This will help her to relax and go to bed easily. Getting more than 7 hours’ night sleep reduces heart attack risk!
• Stop smoking: If you or your mom have smoking habit, stop it immediately. Smoking by itself increases risk of coronary artery diseases, blood pressure, blood clots.
• Eat right and eat on time: Mom is not garbage! She should not be eating old, left over foods all the time. As mom takes care of entire family by providing healthy meal and food, it is your duty to make sure she eats healthy food too. Get her fresh fruits, healthy snacks. She will enjoy it.
• Bring her smiles: Being social and with friends and loved ones reduces her loneliness. It takes away all worries and reduces pressure on mind and body.
• Ask her to be hydrated: Encourage mom to drink more water. Keep a bottle of water for her in the bed room, living room and dining table. This will remind her to drink water through out the day. Tell her that body relies on water to keep electrolytes in balance.
• Discussion about health: More importantly talk to your mother once a while about her health and diet. Share information about health and life style.

All the above symptoms, unfortunately are also reasons for many other conditions. However, it is your duty to explain this to your mother and take her for a checkup or talk to your family doctor. If your mom or loved ones are suffering from these symptoms call emergency and take them to nearby hospital.

 Reference: www.werindia.com

Image credit: Photo by Amy Shamblen on Unsplash