In honor of American Heart Month, one Overland Park heart block survivor is raising awareness of heart disease, the leading cause of death among women.
Mekaela Davis, who has battled a variety of heart-related issues for more than two decades, told the Post about her experience with sudden heart block and shared about warning signs and symptoms of heart problems.
Heart disease emerged when Davis was young and healthy
- It was during her time as a young, active high school athlete when Davis said she first noticed that she was having issues with her heart.
- “I had always had some challenges in terms of heart palpitations and things like that and could never really figure out what was going on,” she said.
It took Davis years to get answers
- “As women, I think sometimes our symptoms are dismissed as emotional regulation issues when in fact there very well could be something going on,” Davis said.
- After years of wearing heart monitors, Davis experienced a mini stroke while in her early 40s, which led to doctors finding that she had a hole in heart.
- Two years later, she was fitted with a pacemaker after experiencing a complete heart block.
Heart disease manifests with a variety of symptoms
- In addition to an irregular heartbeat, Davis said other symptoms she experienced were dizziness, migraines and vision impairment.
- Other common symptoms can include chest pain, shortness of breath, fatigue, and pain in the neck, jaw, throat or back, according to academic medical center Mayo Clinic.
- “I think it’s just important that when something really feels wrong, it’s important to trust your gut,” Davis said.
Heart disease is the leading cause of death in women
- While the large majority of cardiac events can be prevented, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in women, claiming the lives of 1 in 3 women, according to the American Heart Association.
- “If you have someone in your life that is complaining of some health issues and they haven’t gotten the extent of care that you wonder if they might need, you can help by being their advocate,” Davis said.
