Beauty blogger and writing about heart disease? I know the combination sounds weird. But heart health is a topic that has been close to my heart ever since I lost my mom to heart attack. Death of a loved one can hurt even after 20 years. Even if you think you have buried it deep inside, the intensity of pain can strike anytime.

So this morning, while glancing through the daily paper when my eyes fell on an article about heart health and women, the chilling memories of my mom’s sudden demise to this uninformed killer came alive.

More awful than the feeling of loss is the feeling that irreparable loss could have been prevented.

A surreal feeling engulfed me and I felt it as my wake up call to reach out to all of you out there so that you don’t have to go through the same gravity of awfulness. You will be shocked to know that as many as 1,100 women die every day to heart attack and heart disease. According to Cardiac Surgeons, more than any other ailment, it is cardiac arrest that kills more women.

Women are more susceptible to heart disease as they have to balance many things together – home, professional career, as well as caring for the young and elderly in the family. And in focusing on everyone and everything else, they tend to put their own health aside, ignoring all early signs of heart attack and heart disease.

So the first step you can take to prevent losing your beloved mother, mother-in-law, sister, wife, or yourself to this No. 1 killer of women is to know that there is a broad range of symptoms. And if you or your loved one is not feeling well and have never felt this way before, particularly if you’re experiencing chest or shortness of breath symptoms, you need to seek help.

Second is to make healthy choices and third is to seek right medical care or attention of a cardiologist. Generally, doctors do not conduct routine screening electrocardiograms (EKGs or ECGs) or treadmill exercise tests in people without symptoms, especially young women without symptoms.

But there are some cardiologists and heart surgeons, who tell you what kind of screening tests are available to women and which tests can help you provide an early diagnosis.

So when it comes to heart disease, all these worrying factors along with where you stay in hospital, when you get your diagnosis, and whether you receive the right medication and treatment all point to the fact that risk of fatality from heart disease increases if you are not looked after by a specialist.

Never ignore even the slightest warning sign as heart failure is often fatal. Hence it is very important that you choose your doctor carefully.

Taking care of heart ailments under a heart specialist ensures that you get proper diagnosis and timely treatment of your ailment including state-of-the-art imaging and diagnostic equipment to promote healthy heart living.

Unfortunately, heart disease took my mother but such a misfortune should not happen to you, start taking essential steps right from today. And if you smell some threat, gather all the information about heart specialists in your area to prevent heart-break and help your loved one live a longer, healthier life.