Women’s Heart Awareness: Everything You Need To Know

Happy February first Babes! Today is National Wear Red Day in honor of the American Heart Associations Heart Awareness month. Soo I thought I would use a little bit of my nursing knowledge and give you some information and tips on staying healthy, as well as common signs and symptoms. But, of course I’m going to share a little fashion along the way!

Heart Awareness month holds a very special place in my heart. If you’ve been here a while then you know a heart attack is how my Dad passed away when I was in high school. It was a complete shock. There weren’t any warning signs, well at least that I knew at the time. I often wonder if there was enough education about heart health as there is now, would we have been able to have an intervention done in time?

Not something I dwell on, but have definitely thought about. Anyway, as an ICU nurse I have spent a lot of time working with patients with varies heart and circulation issues. I’ve taken care of patients that needed new valves, their arteries re-opened, and even those that have are lucky enough to get a heart transplant. So I guess you could say I know a few things.

If you follow me on Instagram, then you may have seen me recently open up about my own heart health and scare. With palpitations, intermittent chest pain and achiness in the chest. I have been trying to stay on top of my own stuff.

Here’s the thing Mama’s, women’s signs and symptoms can be different, but definitely don’t ignore them. All the things I’m listing below are common. But in general, women don’t always get the intense chest pain, like an elephant is sitting on their chest. It may just feel like reflux, an achiness radiating to your shoulder or just a dull nagging pain.

The first step I took was to make an appointment with my primary care physician. Got a full physical and labs checked. So far things have checked out OK, but with my extensive family history we decided it would be best to do a CardioScan. This will tell me if there are early signs of blockages.

So, let’s talk about signs and symptoms. In fact, panic and heart attacks have almost identical symptoms. Here’s what they look like:

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Rapid pounding heart rate
• Shortness of breath
• Anxiety
• Dizziness, lightheadedness, or faintness
• Sweating
• Nausea and/or vomitting

The big question I often hear is how do you tell the difference…You DON’T so it’s best to seek medical help. Normally I’d say go with your gut, but I’m a mom and I know how things get. On this one, don’t put yourself last, or you won’t be able to put others first.

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Pink and Red Fashion

Now that the serious stuff out of the way let’s talk fashion. Honestly, I wear pink and reds all year long. But, there’s something about February that just gives you that extra little stamp of approval to go crazy with it. Like wear it everyday, anyway you want. Pink Blush sent me this top and I am loving it. I have worn it several times already. With jeans, leggings and even a skirt for happy hour with my sister.

Pink Blush has some great tops and dress in red and pink so you can celebrate heart awareness month ALL MONTH long with me! Here are a few of my favorites!

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Thank you so much for stopping by. Please comment below if you have any questions, or insights from your own experience. I’d love to hear all about it. And I’m sure other Mama’s can learn from it too!