ODESSA, TEXAS (Big 2/ Fox 24)- Cardiologist Tejas Patel, M.D. says it’s not uncommon for women to come into his office thinking their fine and then leaving with a diagnosis they never expected.
“Women may have symptoms different from what men experience or what most other people experience so they may not pay attention to these symptoms and seek evaluation for underlying Cardiac conditions even when they may have some symptoms.”
He says the worst thing women can do is ignore any kind of symptoms like chest pain, shortness of breath, fainting, and even swelling in the legs.
“I recently took care of a patient in the hospital who was transferred from an outside facility who did not know anything about any major medical problems; she comes in because of shortness of breath, she had a heart attack, her heart is very weak, and she ended up requiring a bypass surgery, she was in her early 30’s. If you have a strong family history of heart problems in young individuals in your family be more attentive towards symptoms that could from underlying heart disease.”
According to the Cardiologist, finding out things like your calcium score, blood pressure, body mass index and blood sugar can be a lifesaver for women.
“Staying active is very important for the prevention of cardiovascular problems but it may also guide you if you develop any symptoms with the activity that could suggest underlying heart disease also.”
