Physicians at Atrium Health Navicent want women to take time to reflect on their individual heart health needs and take steps to improve their overall health.


Not sure where to start? How about with your heart?


According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 60 million women in the United States are living with some form of heart disease. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States and can affect women at any age.

There are three main types of heart disease:

  • Coronary artery disease is the most common type of heart disease and is caused by plaque in the walls of the
    arteries that supply blood to your heart and other parts of your body.
  • Arrhythmia is when your heart beats too slowly, too fast or in an irregular way.
  • Heart failure is when your heart is too weak to pump enough blood to support other organs in your body.

Knowing the symptoms of heart disease — especially how they differ for men and women — can help you take steps to improve your heart health and know when to seek help.


When it comes to heart disease, men and women may experience different symptoms. You may feel a dull or heavy ache in the chest, but women may also experience other symptoms that are less associated with heart disease such as shortness of breath, pain in the neck, jaw or throat, and pain in the upper abdomen or back. Some women also experience nausea, vomiting or tiredness that won’t go away.

Call 9-1-1 immediately if you are experiencing heart palpitations, shortness of breath, sudden fatigue or swelling of the feet, ankles, legs or abdomen, or believe you are having a heart attack.

“It’s important that women prioritize their heart health by exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet and not smoking,” said Dr. Laura Reed, an Atrium Health Navicent cardiothoracic surgeon. “Heart disease can be a silent killer, and it’s important that women pay attention to symptoms that have sudden onset and don’t go away like shortness of breath, pain in the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen or back.”

Women are also urged to use Women’s Health Month as a reminder to schedule appointments for their well-woman visits and recommended screenings such as mammograms.


The Atrium Health Navicent Mobile Mammography Coach is visiting communities throughout central Georgia to make it easier for women to get an annual breast cancer screening. Breast cancer screenings are recommended for women beginning at age 40, although women with a family history of breast cancer or other risk factors should consult their doctor about whether they may need to begin screenings earlier.
Here’s where you can catch the mobile mammography coach in the coming weeks:

  • Friday, May 30: 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Atrium Health Navicent Primary Care Warner Robins, 113 Willie Lee Parkway, Warner Robins
  • Saturday, May 31: 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Thriving Together: A Community Health Event, 150 Willie Smokie Glover Drive, Macon
  • Wednesday, June 4: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Atrium Health Navicent Primary Care Milledgeville, 2803 North Columbia St., Unit D, Milledgeville
  • Friday, June 6: 10 a.m.to 2 p.m. at Summer Senior Expo, 132 Willie Smokey Glover Drive, Macon
    Contact: Amy Leigh Womack at [email protected]
  • Tuesday, June 10: 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Houston County Health Department, 88 Cohen Walker Blvd, Warner Robins
  • Wednesday, June 11: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Atrium Health Navicent Primary Care West Macon, 3780 Eisenhower Parkway, Macon
  • Thursday, June 12: 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Jeffersonville Elementary School, 675 Bullard Rd, Jeffersonville
  • Saturday, June 14: 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Deloris Toliver Park, 115 Wallace Drive, Warner Robins
  • Wednesday, June 18: 9 a.m.to 2 p.m. at Telfair County UGA Extension Office, 91 Telfair Ave., McRae
  • Saturday, June 21: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ballard Hudson Middle School, 1070 Anthony Rd., Macon
  • Saturday, June 28: 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Abundant Life Tabernacle. 1344 N. 9th Street, Griffin

The screening lasts approximately 15 minutes and is provided in a comfortable and private environment. Typically, mobile mammogram results will be returned within about two business days. If additional screening is needed, patients will be scheduled promptly for a follow-up appointment.

To find a doctor, visit www.NavicentHealth.org and click “Find A Doctor.