Submitted by an anonymous Howard County community member
It’s time to paint the town red on WEAR RED DAY, February 7, 2025. Wear Red Day (the first Friday in February each year) is the American Heart Association’s campaign to bring awareness that Cardiovascular Disease (heart disease and stroke) is the # 1 killer of women.
Women’s health is complex in that they are more likely than men to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression. Often, “traditional” demands of work, running a household, raising children and more fall on women. In addition, women have phases of life, such as pregnancy and menopause, that are unique to their gender and present additional physical and mental health stressors.
Chronic stress (stress over an extended amount of time) can lead to high blood pressure, increasing a woman’s risk for heart attack and stress, as well as manifest in other physical ways like headaches, rashes, and stomach or body pains. Stress can also be a factor in making poor health decisions, as you are less likely to take care of yourself when feeling stressed. Smoking, substance use, less physical activity and eating an unhealthy diet (leading to weight issues) are all examples of unhealthy choices, which may lead to increased risk for bigger issues like depression, anxiety, anger, pessimism,and burnout. In turn, these unhealthy lifestyle choices circle back to physical changes, such as irregular heart rate/rhythm, increased blood pressure and digestive problems, inflammation and reduced blood flow to the heart, putting women more at risk for heart disease and stroke.
Substance use as a coping mechanism for stress is another contributing factor to increasing women’s risk for heart disease and stroke. Heavy drinking can contribute to high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, and lead to cardiomyopathy, a weakening of the heart muscle. In addition, smoking affects the heart and blood vessels while recreational drug use can lead to premature heart disease. Opioids, specifically, can have life-threatening effects on the heart, causing cardiac arrhythmias, oxygen deficiency and inflammatory responses in the body which can lead to stroke.
So, how do we become more “heart-healthy”? For starters, positive mental health will improve your mood and outlook on life, as well as start you on the right track for positive physical change. A little optimism and gratitude will help to lower blood pressure and cholesterol, in addition to better glucose control and less inflammation.
Just wait… once you start making some small changes to manage your stress, you will recognize that positive mental health and improved physical health go hand-in-hand. Try these ideas to improve both your mental and physical health:
- Exercise regularly (at least 150 minutes per week) to manage your weight, relieve stress and tension and to manage anxiety and depression
- Make sleep a priority! Adults should ideally sleep for seven to nine hours a night
- Eat a diet rich with fruits and vegetables, beans, whole grains, legumes, fish and poultry. Click https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating for nutritional tips
- Limit alcohol consumption and give up smoking and drug use. Click https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/nutrition-basics/alcohol-and-heart-health for information on alcohol and heart disease.
- Relax- look into meditation, deep breathing exercises and listening to music
- Maintain relationships with friends and family to keep your social connection
- Find a hobby to keep your mind active and to create a sense of purpose or accomplishment.
- Keep a positive attitude- keep a gratitude journal or share your positivity with friends.
- Seek help when you need it. Talk to your health care provider, research support groups if needed, and investigate talking to a mental health professional. Getting out of your own head and talking helps.
For more information on WEAR RED DAY or any of the topics discussed here, go to https://www.goredforwomen.org/en/ or https://www.heart.org.
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