Did you know that February is American Heart Month?
"Heart disease takes the lives of far too many people in this country, depriving their families and communities of someone they love and care for—a father, a mother, a wife, a friend, a neighbor, a spouse. With more than 2 million heart attacks and strokes a year, and 800,000 deaths, just about all of us have been touched by someone who has had heart disease, heart attack, or a stroke."
- Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius
According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States amounting to nearly 2,200 deaths per day. It is important for everyone to understand and control the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. It is also important for everyone to recognize the signals of a heart attack and stroke and know what to do in the event of a cardiac emergency.
Risk Factors
According to the National Institutes of Health, there are several heart disease risk factors. Talk to your doctor about your risk factors and discuss how best to manage them.
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Diabetes
Smoking
Obesity
Physically inactivity
Family history of heart disease
Recognizing a Heart Attack
The primary signal of a heart attack is persistent pain or pressure in the center of the chest. In addition, a person may experience the following symptoms:
Pain that spreads to the neck, jaw and both shoulders and arms
Shortness of breath
Nausea, cold sweat, and/or light-headedness
Women who experience a heart attack most frequently experience flu-like symptoms and pain or tightness in the neck and jaw.
What to do when you recognize the symptoms of a heart attack
1) Call 911 or the emergency number and describe the symptoms and basic information about the patient (e.g., age, sex, history if known). Do not hang up until they hang up, they may be able to provide instruction on how to care for the person until help arrives
2) Have the person stop activity and sit or lie down to rest, loosen any tight clothing
3) If the person has medication prescribed for them for their heart condition, assist them in taking the medication
4) Be prepared to provide CPR. You can learn CPR from your local American Red Cross or American Heart Association. Check out the Red Cross’s Citizen CPR instruction sheet at http://www.redcross.org/www-files/Documents/pdf/training/HandsOnlyCPRsheet.pdf.
Some people may be reluctant to seek medical attention or may want to drive themselves to the hospital. Do not allow anyone showing symptoms of a heart attack or other sudden illness to attempt to drive themselves anywhere. The best thing you can do for them is to call 911 and let the emergency responders do their jobs to help that individual.