It’s A Women’s World

If you have chest pain, you know how scary it can be. When you suspect something might not be right with your heart, you know you could be in big trouble. Heart attacks kill many each year and if you have chest pain, you have to consider that this might be what is going on. Luckily, not all pain in the chest is a heart attack, as there are many other reasons why you may experience a problem or pain in the general area of your heart.

Other than heart attack, chest pain can be something as simple as heartburn. You may scoff at this and may have seen in movies where people confuse a heart attack with heartburn, but you should know this really happens. Sometimes the pain of heartburn is so intense that it does indeed feel like you have having a problem with your heart. If you can’t tell the difference, get into the ER as soon as possible. It is by far better to be wrong in the emergency room than to be wrong in your living room. If you are having a heart attack, you need medical attention as soon as possible.

If you have recently been injured or taken a fall, you may have chest pain related to your muscles. This may even happen if you have worked out too hard, or perhaps even slept in an awkward position. If the muscles in your chest get damaged, the pain can be severe. This may feel like a heart attack or may leave you feeling like you can’t breath. This sort of chest pain may mimic a heart attack for a moment and you can never be too careful. If they find your chest pain is the result of an injury, they can give you medications to take away the pain.

There are some cases when chest pain is unexplained. I have a friend who had pains that the doctors could not figure out. He is now, a few years later, battling a mystery illness that may or may not be related. If you have chest pain and your doctor seems to be baffled, it is in your best interest to have a second or third opinion. Unexplained pain in any area of your body should be examined until a cause is found. I wish my friend had gotten another opinion back then, as it may have stopped what is going on with him now, though we may never know.

I have seen a lot of ads on TV lately saying that cervical cancer is often preventable. Isn’t that amazing? Though there are things you can do to prevent other types of cancer, there is never a straightforward answer that works. This type of cancer is known to be caused by a virus that can be taken care of it caught early enough. This is why it is important for all women to get a yearly pap test to be sure the virus is not present in their system.

The virus that causes cervical cancer is known has HPV. From what I know and have been told by my doctor, this is something that is transmitted sexually and is very common. Many people would never even know they have it. Some have outward symptoms, but many women have no idea. For some people, having HPV is not a sure sign they will get cervical cancer, but it happens. If you haven’t gotten tested for it, you should most certainly put it high on your to do list. If you get a pap every year, make sure you ask if you are being checked for HPV so you know your doctor is keeping an eye on the situation.

Though cancer is tricky, isn’t it great to know you can help avoid cervical cancer just by getting a simple test from your doctor? What you know now can save you from a lot of agony in the future. Sadly, there are women out there who would risk getting cervical cancer this way just because they don’t go see their doctor. There is something to be said for not liking to hear you have something transmitted sexually, but in our world, it’s entirely too common. A simple test can tell you if you have it and you can go about taking care of the problem.

If you already have cervical cancer, you may find your doctor tells you that HPV was indeed the culprit. It isn’t always the case though, as cancer can happen anywhere and sometimes there are no reasons why. It just is. No matter what your source of cervical cancer may have been, the earlier you know it is a possibility, the sooner you can take care of the problem and live a cancer free life. Don’t just hope you don’t have a problem, do something about it. Your children and your grandchildren will be glad to have you around if you do.