Women and Heart Disease

More and more women are being looked at a bit closer these days when entering the Emergency Rooms, thanks to the hue and cry of the media and all the dismissals in the past when it came to Women and Heart Disease!

 

I don't mean to leave the men out here, because I know you all are also very deeply affected with Heart Disease and Heart Problems!  It's just that this has been a major subject that has affected so many women and their family's lives. 

 

With this particular issue though, so many women in the past have gone into the ER with symptoms that were not like men's when it came to Heart Attacks (MI's).  I've heard from so many that were sent home and told it was due to menopause, gastric reflux, or in their head, etc. 

 

So please, take a look at this article and let me know what you think and if any of you here would like to discuss more issues re this subject...then just jump on the big band wagon and give your opinions, or let us know what's happened to you!!

 

Teri

 

http://my.webmd.com/content/article/102/106546.htm

 

 

jtu,

 

How lucky you were to be so persistent!!  Way to go!  Many women would have quit.

 

These are the types of stories that I have heard time and time again...I think the majority of Dr.'s are beginning to Listen and "Hear" now, but it's still an issue that women do have to deal with and if it's happening to you~make sure you remain persistent just like jtu did!!

 

Teri

I too was very lucky to have the ER doc that I did. I thought I was having problems with my asthma and fibromyalgia when I went to the ER. If the ER doc had just went by the ekg and blood tests I'd be dead or have alot of damage to the left side of my heart. I'm very lucky the doc decided to do the stress test just to make sure it wasn't my heart. My regular doc was honest with me and told me he would have just done the first 2 tests and sent me home. 2 days after having the stent put in I ended up back in the ER and had a very rude doctor that pretty much said the pain was in my head. Glad I didn't have him for a doc the first time I went in. It's really hard for me to tell what pain is from my heart because of all my health problems which complicate things because they mimic some of the signs of heart problems. Barb

I'm so glad that you were both able to get your problems worked out!!

 

I have heard tales like this before and I'm sure we'll be hearing more!  But for every case like this, it's happening now more and more often that women's symtoms are being looked at more closely!

 

I just called my Cardio yesterday and told him that I was on my 3rd nitro and was told, 'get to the ER immediately'.  They treated me as if it was heart all the way, but did standardized tests with blood workups, chest x-rays and questions about other things.  But all in all they were directly thinking heart.  Now more than likely because of my past history and I'm known at this hospital and the Heart Hospital of Austin, that helped.  But I've been in there before, where they were trying to tell me it was my Gerd and Asthma and both times, they were proven wrong.  I even go in there now and show them which vein to use for drawing blood and starting IV's or they won't get any blood.  And they listen!

 

So things are improving!

 

Best Wishes!  Teri

Barb, we can pose some serious questions when we present ourselves to our Dr.'s with several different diseases.  My PCP tells me "I'm a tough nut to crack." lol  They don't know if it's it's asthma, COPD, or angina acting up, though occasionally it could be my GERD!  They have to 'weed' through all the symptoms and treat everything.  Sometimes that's not so easy when we have multiple diagnoses.

 

Even anxiety can bring on these symptoms.  So if you have a caring Dr., he or she will try their best to figure out the best course of treatment for you as an individual, though it may take some time doing so.  If you trust your Doctor then you must help them as much as you can.

 

Please let me know how you are doing, Barb?!

 

Hugs, Teri

Amen about women and heart disease. I went to ER several days before they discovered I had already had a heart attack. The triage nurse took my b/p which was very high for me, knew my risks, and said, "It might be a few hours before you can be seen." I was having pain, but not in my chest or radiating down my arm. Because of her ignoring the possiblitythat it could be heart related, I left to go home because the pain subsided while I was waiting. I feel like she should have done something more. Gosh I'm still ticked about this after a year. My revenge has been to educate other women about heart disease adn their risks.

Hugs! Teri, good to hear from you!

I had a hysterectomy, too. Several years before my heart attack. I had the surgery when I was 46 and the HA when I was 54. Just one more thing to add to the risk list, huh? Ughhh.

Hi Ricky, I know you've got a strong family history of heart disease!!~thank goodness your wife is so healthy!  Tell your sister's hello from me and Happy Easter to you and your family!

 

Hugs, Teri

Yeah, I know what you mean, Ricky...I wish they'd join us on board just to discuss this!  Give them my email, and tell them to write anytime!!

 

Hugs, Teri

I'm a therapist, and sometimes anger can motivate you to do something else, like educate others and make changes. I don't sit around and stew about it, but I do want to help make changes in women's (and people in general) lives so that their medical care will not be neglected. You are correct, hanging on to something in anger and not letting it go to do something else productive can be damaging to your health.

Likewise, Barb!

 

We all need to help one another with anything new we hear and try and offer others out there some of what we learn here!  That's what it's all about!

 

Hugs, Teri

No, I have never learned how to do biofeedback, but I have heard wonderful things about it, and it's great in conjunction with psychotherapy. Some therapists do teach their clients how to do it. I would like to learn how to do it for myself. I do progressive muscle relaxation, visualization, and breathing with my clients, though.