Many women believe that heart disease mainly affects men, but that's not true. Actually, heart disease is the top cause of death among women. As women reach the age of 50, especially around the time of menopause, their risk of heart disease goes up a lot. Even young women who have experienced early or surgical menopause and don't take estrogen have a higher risk of heart disease. If women have gone through menopause and also have certain health issues or lifestyle habits like diabetes, smoking, high blood pressure, high bad cholesterol, low good cholesterol, obesity, lack of exercise, or a family history of heart disease, their risk is even greater. It's important for women to be aware of these risk factors and understand the link between menopause and heart health.
During menopause, a woman stops having her monthly periods and can no longer get pregnant naturally. This usually happens between the ages of 45 and 55, but it can happen earlier or later for some women. When a woman goes through menopause, her ovaries stop making as much of the hormone called estrogen, and they also stop releasing eggs each month. This change in hormone levels can cause a lot of symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, and trouble sleeping.
There's a time leading up to menopause called perimenopause, when a woman's estrogen levels start to go down but she's still having periods. During this time, she might start experiencing symptoms of menopause even though her periods haven't stopped yet.
Estrogen has a protective effect on a woman's heart. It helps control cholesterol levels and keeps arteries healthy. If a woman's estrogen levels drop during menopause, it can lead to fat building up in the arteries, which can increase the risk of heart disease, heart attacks, or strokes.
So, the key thing to remember is that menopause is a natural process when a woman's body goes through some big changes, and it's important for her to take care of her health during this time.
Menopause can lead to physiological changes in the body that can elevate the risk of developing coronary heart disease.
During this time, some women may experience symptoms that affect their daily life and how they feel. These symptoms can include feeling their heart beating faster or irregularly, having aches and pains, finding it hard to concentrate or feeling forgetful, and gaining weight. Sometimes, women are worried and confused between menopause and heart attack symptoms that these symptoms could mean something more serious, like a heart problem or dementia. However, in most cases, these symptoms are actually caused by the changes in their hormone levels during menopause.
The most common signs of a heart attack. The main symptom is chest pain or discomfort that suddenly happens and doesn’t stop. This pain may feel like pressure, squeezing, or heaviness in your chest, and it may also feel like indigestion or a burning sensation. The pain may spread to your left or right arm, neck, jaw, back, or stomach. Lastly, during a heart attack, you may feel sick, sweaty, light-headed, or short of breath.
Reducing the risk of coronary heart disease after menopause is totally doable. It's super important to think about making healthier lifestyle choices because they can seriously help keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels in check. Plus, these healthy choices can also ease those pesky menopause symptoms. Change might seem overwhelming, especially when dealing with menopausal symptoms. But hey, even small changes can have a huge impact. Check out the following tips that can make it all feel more manageable.
It can be harder to stay at a healthy weight during and after menopause, which is a natural change in a woman's body when her periods stop and she can no longer get pregnant. Making some changes to the food you eat and the things you do every day to help with this.
For food, swapping things like:
Small changes in your daily routine like:
These changes can help you stay healthy and maintain a good weight.
Increasing your activity level, or moving and being more active, can be really good for you. It helps you stay a healthy weight, makes you feel less worried and low, and keeps your heart healthy. It also helps with symptoms that some people get during menopause, like not being able to sleep well and feeling moody.
But sometimes, it can be hard to start moving more, especially if you have a heart problem or find it hard to move around. Here are some ideas to make it easier and more fun.
You can start with small amounts of movement and then slowly do more over time. Finding activities you like, such as walking, swimming, or gardening, and maybe joining a group or class for exercise.
If you find it really hard to exercise, here are some tips to make it easier.
Related: How Menopause Affects Your Hair and What You Can Do About It
Experts recommend drinking less than 14 units of alcohol per week. Reducing the amount of alcohol you drink can help with symptoms of menopause and heart palpitations.
For some people, drinking is an important part of their social life, and that cutting down can feel difficult. But here are some suggestions for how to socialize and drink less, like choosing a smaller drink size (like a half pint instead of a full pint), having a single shot of spirits instead of a double, or trying alcohol-free versions of beer, wine, or spirits. It also recommends swapping nights at the pub for other activities with friends.
