Too busy taking care of everyone else?
This has been a very eye-opening week for women with the passing of Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds.
Ladies--we are too busy taking care of everyone else when we need to take care of ourselves first.
I know, I know...that's really easy to say, but hard to do (especially as a mom) but it has to be done. Your health should be one of your top priorities because in some cases, it could be a matter of life or death.
I have been with the American Heart Association for over 6 years now professionally (2 years before that as a volunteer) and I had no idea before that that heart disease is not only the #1 cause of death in the US, but it is the #1 cause of death of WOMEN. Many times, the signs of a heart attack in women are different from men. Everyone thinks you should feel chest pain, numbness down one side of your body, etc. That's not often the case with women.
Many times the symptoms of a heart attack in women are:
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.
Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.*More info found here
Many times, women ignore the signs and think maybe they're just worn down, have indigestion, or they're just coming down with a little bug. We don't have time to really pay attention because deadlines have to be met for work, lunches need to be packed and the laundry still needs to be folded and put away since it's been in the dryer for 3 days now (just saying!) So, take the time to read this article from the AHA's CEO, Nancy Brown, about making resolutions for a healthy heart. Because face it....you want to be around to take care of your babies and your babies' babies, right?
With Heart,
Emily
xo