Why this healthy woman had two heart attacks at 41
Why this seemingly healthy woman had two heart attacks within a week of each other
Why this seemingly healthy woman had two heart attacks within a week of each other
Why this seemingly healthy woman had two heart attacks within a week of each other
When you바카라 게임 웹사이트re young and healthy, heart attacks aren바카라 게임 웹사이트t really on your radar. But Jennifer Halvas, a 41-year-old living in Colorado, had two heart attacks within a week of each other바카라 게임 웹사이트 and she never saw them coming.
Halvas told that she was on vacation with her family when she suddenly developed intense pain in her chest, arm pain and shortness of breath. She went to her local emergency room but was told she was fine. The next day, however, she experienced more intense chest pain, and this time it radiated to both of her arms and neck. She also felt nauseous, had pain in her jaw and was vomiting. She was reluctant to return to the ER but she knew something was wrong so she trusted her gut and went back.
Halvas was diagnosed with spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), a rare condition that happens when a tear develops in one of the arteries that provides blood flow to your heart, according to the . The condition can cause a , which is exactly what happened to Halvas.
She was given medication to help with her symptoms and discharged from the hospital but, a week later, she experienced severe chest pain again and was told she'd had another heart attack due to her arteries contracting and closing.
It바카라 게임 웹사이트s been five years since her heart attacks, but Halvas is still on medication to control her symptoms and, if she misses a dose, she can get them again quickly.
How common is it to have two heart attacks so close together?
바카라 게임 웹사이트It바카라 게임 웹사이트s very unusual, but when one situation is not appropriately attended to, then sometimes it can spiral, escalate, and then you have two episodes back to back,바카라 게임 웹사이트 says , a cardiologist at Providence Saint John바카라 게임 웹사이트s Health Center in Santa Monica, California.
SCAD is tough to treat and can make it more likely that someone will have a heart attack again, says , co-director of the Women바카라 게임 웹사이트s Center for Cardiovascular Health at Columbia University Irving Medical Center and cardiologist at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia.
What is SCAD, and how is it treated?
바카라 게임 웹사이트SCAD involves a split in the wall of the artery and often we don바카라 게임 웹사이트t like to put stents in arteries that have SCAD because you can split the wall more,바카라 게임 웹사이트 she explains. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Sometimes treatment is just to leave a patient alone, but you can have further dissection of the same vessel later leading to another heart attack.바카라 게임 웹사이트
SCAD in particular seems to have a 바카라 게임 웹사이트significant hormonal component associated with it,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Weinberg says, meaning it seems to disproportionally affect women who have regular periods or are pregnant or postpartum. It also seems to commonly affect women in their 40s and 50s, Haythe says.
SCAD can be tough to diagnose because these women are often healthy. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Then, it바카라 게임 웹사이트s not on a physician바카라 게임 웹사이트s radar to think that this patient could be having a coronary artery problem,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Weinberg says. 바카라 게임 웹사이트As a result, this is very under-diagnosed.바카라 게임 웹사이트
What are the symptoms of SCAD?
In general, they바카라 게임 웹사이트re very similar to symptoms of other coronary artery problems 바카라 게임 웹사이트 they just come on suddenly, Haythe says. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, back pain, nausea and vomiting. 바카라 게임 웹사이트They바카라 게임 웹사이트re often worsened with some amount of exertion, but sometimes they just happen suddenly,바카라 게임 웹사이트 Weinberg says.
If you바카라 게임 웹사이트re having weird symptoms and you suspect it바카라 게임 웹사이트s heart-related, but you feel that your doctor isn바카라 게임 웹사이트t taking your symptoms and concerns seriously, Weinberg recommends insisting on certain tests. 바카라 게임 웹사이트A standard cardiac workup is very reasonable,바카라 게임 웹사이트 she says. 바카라 게임 웹사이트That means an EKG, blood work that looks for cardiac marker elevations and an ultrasound of your heart. Sometimes medical practitioners aren바카라 게임 웹사이트t thinking it could be your heart and just don바카라 게임 웹사이트t do these tests.바카라 게임 웹사이트
Remember, than men.
And, if you ask for the tests and your doctor is hesitant, Haythe recommends 바카라 게임 웹사이트making some noise바카라 게임 웹사이트 and pressing for answers. 바카라 게임 웹사이트Across the board, women aren바카라 게임 웹사이트t being treated as much as they should and are being told they simply have anxiety,바카라 게임 웹사이트 she says. 바카라 게임 웹사이트You have to stick to your guns if you바카라 게임 웹사이트re concerned and say, 바카라 게임 웹사이트I want you to show me why you think I바카라 게임 웹사이트m okay.바카라 게임 웹사이트바카라 게임 웹사이트
Bottom line: Weinberg says SCAD should be something that women in their 40s and 50s are aware of. And, if you바카라 게임 웹사이트re having symptoms that just don바카라 게임 웹사이트t seem right to you, speak up. 바카라 게임 웹사이트You are your biggest advocate for your health,바카라 게임 웹사이트 she says.