February is Women’s Heart Health Awareness Month

The Red dress is the symbol used to highlight Women’s Heart Health Month

Here are some brief tips about your heart health.

Your medical records may indicate you are a widow, but has your physician ever asked WHEN you became one? This is crucial because newly widowed individuals can experience broken heart syndrome (takotsubo cardiomyopathy), a temporary heart condition triggered by severe emotional stress. It mimics a heart attack but usually does not involve blocked arteries. Most people recover fully within weeks with medical attention.

A newly widowed individual may also experience irregularities in heart rhythm that could require medication or other treatments. If your physician is unaware of your recent loss, essential treatments might be delayed or, even more concerning, overlooked due to age-related biases in healthcare.

Possible Symptoms to be concerned about

- Seek immediate treatment for any symptoms related to a possible heart attack. Heart attack signs women shouldn’t ignore;

* Extreme Fatigue

* Shortness of breath

* Unable to do activities or movements your were able to do before

- Other Symptoms you may notice:

* Back pain, neck pain

* Unexpected sweating (can be difficult to distinguish in menopause.)

* Chest pain

Other tips

- If you are a recent widow, be sure to inform the medical staff or your physician about your situation.

- Take someone with you to medical appointments to help advocate for your concerns with your physician.

- Don’t hesitate to change physicians if you feel you are not receiving the appropriate care for your medical issues.