Heart problems don't just happen in older people. People your age can get them too. Three readers talk about the heart problems they had to deal with.
Tamara (45): “I have had palpitations every month for five years, as if my heart wants to leave my body. Only when I lie down and do breathing exercises do they disappear after about five minutes. A heart film in the hospital showed nothing, so I asked my GP for a referral to the Heart Clinic. You can go there for an ultrasound after a week. This should show whether I am wrong.”
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Wanda (39): “Two years ago it was discovered that there is a construction defect in my heart valve, which causes me to have a heart murmur. I was shocked at first, but I have every confidence in my cardiologist and go for a check-up. I had already started eating healthier, stopped smoking and started exercising more after being diagnosed with elevated cholesterol. Furthermore, the news about the heart murmur has not changed my life, because I am not yet experiencing any consequences.”
Claudia (44): “Two years ago I suddenly started experiencing hoarseness at work, followed by dizziness, nausea, sweating and a pinching feeling in my right arm. That lasted about five minutes and it happened three more times later. I didn't trust it, so went to the doctor's office. Nothing came of it, but not long after that I had an even heavier heart attack. I got through it well, but never let a doctor send you a mess.”
… something terrible has happened in your life. Angela Maas, professor, cardiologist and author of Heart for Women:“Women are nine times more likely than men to be affected by broken heart syndrome:a stroke after a major event, for example after you have lost someone.”
… you are struggling with chronic stress, for example a tough job or a divorce that drags on. Maas:“That can lead to a rupture of the coronary artery, something that was always thought to be a rarity. But that turns out not to be the case. We've done a lot of research over the past five years and made huge gains in knowledge, so hopefully we can get there on time in the future.”
... high blood pressure has occurred during pregnancy, due to preeclampsia or HELLP syndrome. Maas:“These women have an increased risk of heart problems. This also applies to women who often had migraines in their teens or twenties or women whose father, mother, brother or sister already had a heart attack before the age of 65.”
… you have had breast cancer, because fifteen percent of all women with breast cancer suffer heart damage, says Maas. “That heart damage can occur during treatment, but also five or ten years later. It is often thought that it is age or a consequence of the chemo, so that adequate research is not done right away. Then you run behind the facts and a patient often dies.”
… suddenly enormous fatigue sets in. Maas:“This precedes a heart attack. It is often the result of a period of extreme stress, for example a reorganization at work, problems with your children, a renovation. You think the fatigue will go away when you calm down, but it's actually a signal that you need to take action. Call your doctor and discuss your complaints.”
Source:Santé June 2019, text Fleur Baxmeier
