Tag Archives: no smoking

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

“LOVE YOUR HEART” MORE THAN EVER THIS MONTH!

Our heart is the major organ that keeps our bodies going.  February is American Heart Month, the time of year that several organizations, such as the American Heart Association want to impress upon us the importance of taking care of our hearts.

Did you know that heart disease is preventable and controllable?  It seems that we wait until something happens, such as a scare with heart problems before we do anything about it.  Barring predisposed heart disease, most of us are born with healthy hearts.  Exercise and proper diet are very important things to keep our entire body healthy, beginning in childhood. 

Each year, around 715,000 Americans have a heart attack.  About 600,000 people die from heart disease in our country every year, averaging one out of every four deaths.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that it is not too late to start your journey to better heart health by taking one step at a time.  Here are their recommendations:

  • Don’t become overwhelmed, or go it alone.  Get your friends and family involved and you will all be healthier for it.
  • Take one day at a time; if you fail to follow heart healthy rules today, start over tomorrow.
  • Reward yourself.  Do fun things, such as taking a walk with a friend, rather than sit on the couch eating snacks. 
  • Eat a healthy diet.  Choose fruits and yogurt rather than candy and ice cream.
  • Watch your weight. 
  • Monitor your blood pressure.
  • Don’t smoke.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Don’t overdo alcoholic beverages.
  • Keep a check on your cholesterol and triglycerides.
  • If you are diabetic, monitor your sugar levels faithfully.
  • Follow your doctor’s instructions and take your medicine as directed.

Here are the warning signs for heart attack from the American Heart Association:

  • Chest discomfort.  This usually last more than a few minutes, and may feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
  • Discomfort in other areas of the upper body.  Some persons who have had heart attacks reported symptoms in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
  • Shortness of breath.  This could happen in addition to or without chest discomfort.
  • Breaking out in a sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness.

The American Heart Association also shares warning signs for stroke:

  • Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
  • Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
  • Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
  • Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance, or coordination.
  • Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.

If you or someone you know has any of these signs (either heart attack or stroke), call 9-1-1!  Check the time so you will tell the EMS team what time the symptoms first appeared.  If given within three hours of the start of symptoms, a clot-busting drug can reduce long-term disability for the most common type of stroke.  In the event of symptoms of heart attack, call EMS or have someone drive you to the nearest hospital immediately.  Do not drive yourself, unless there’s no other option.

The best Valentine you can give your family is to take care of your heart every day.  My husband had a quadruple heart bypass seven years ago, which was a very scarey event for him and our family.  Thankfully, he takes better care of himself and exercises regularly. 

Last, but not least, remember this Friday, February 7th is National Wear Red Day to remind everyone to love their hearts!

Sources: CDC, American Heart Association

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

HOW TO FIGHT STROKE AND OTHER HEART DISEASES (GUEST POST)

Cardiovascular diseases include all the diseases of heart like coronary heart diseases,  stroke, heart failure and congenital heart disease,  etc. Coronary heart diseases also include congestive heart failure,  angina and heart attack. Circulatory system diseases are hence a part of this category.

Every year thousands of people die each year die due to these cardiovascular problems.  The highest numbers of death reports are due to coronary heart disease followed by stroke.

The different types of heart diseases are as follows:

  • Coronary heart disease:

This type of disease include blockage of the vessels that carry blood to the heart. The major risk factors are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, inactive life style,  unhealthy diet, tobacco use and ageing.

  • Stroke:

Strokes are the result of disruption of the blood to the brain. This is either due to vessel rupture or due to blockage. This sometimes causes chest pain or angina.  Most stroke victims can wind up in a coma.

  • Cardiomyopathy:

It is also called heart muscle disease; it results in stiffening of the heart muscles that result in the less efficient pumping of the heart.

Heart failure

Heart failure does not mean that heart is no longer working. But it means that the heart is pumping and supplying oxygen to the body at much slower rate.

  • Rheumatic heart disease

Heart and its valves are damaged due to a rheumatic fever, caused by streptococcus.

  • Congenital heart disease

These are the malformation in the heart structure or function since birth: holes in heart, abnormal chamber/valves of heart.

  • Peripheral arterial disease

This is caused when fat and cholesterol deposits results in the buildup of plaque in the arteries supplying blood to the peripheral areas.

The decrease in the blood flow to the heart causing heart attack or stroke have the following symptoms:

  • Chest pain
  • Shortness of breath
  • Pain or discomfort in arms, shoulder, neck and jaw
  • Feeling weak
  • Fatigued

The symptoms seen that of heart problem in women are slightly different from males. They may have the following symptoms:

  • Indigestion
  • Fatigue or nausea
  • Sleep disturbances or insomnia
  • Shortness of breath

How to fight cardiovascular diseases?

  • Quit smoking or at least start with small initiatives
  • Exercise
  • Eat healthy
  • Lower stress

Heart disease can be prevented up to a large extent (about 50%) by quitting tobacco use and also through taking medications ordered by your physician, correct diet, and exercise.   Aspirin is recommended as an immediate medicine to take if you think you are having a heart attack.  Some doctors put their heart patients on a low-dose aspirin daily regimen.

  • Eat healthy(heart-healthy foods)

Boost your omega 3 fatty acid count from the food items like salmon, walnut, canola oil, cod liver oil, whole grains, and flaxseeds. This will help you fight heart problems better.

  • Get proper sleep to relax your mind and body
  • Avoid stress triggers as these are lay a lasting impression and can bring a person down to depressive stage. This further can be a big risk for heart.
  • Medicines like Crestor 10 mg are well recommended by doctor for cardiovascular diseases. Crestor is manufactured by IPR Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical giant contains Rosuvastatin as an active ingredient in it. Crestor acts by interfering in the synthesis of cholesterol and steroids. Crestor is an ideal drug for the treatment of heart diseases and is the fifth highest selling medicine in U.S.A.

Our thanks to Meggie Haneckow for submitting this article.  Stay heart healthy at work, play, and home.  If you have a chance to exercise at work, take advantage of one way to keep your heart at its top performance!

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General Safety Issues, Health Issues

HOW TO COMMIT TO LIFETIME HEALTH AND FITNESS TO AVOID HEART DISEASE (GUEST POST)

If you want to maximize the quality of your health now while potentially fighting off heart disease in the future, it is first important to look at the lifestyle you are living now. Once you have analyzed your life for places that need a healthier improvement, you will know the types of changes you must make in order to become a healthier person while reducing your risk of heart disease. If you need help figuring out what types of changes are necessary for you to maintain great body and heart health, the following information may help you out. 

1. Quit Smoking

This is probably an obvious bit of information, but smoking is really bad for your health. Not only can smoking cause lung problems, but it can cause a variety of other problems including heart trouble. It does not matter how many years you have smoked because once you stop the damage you have already done will begin to heal. If you truly want to stay healthy while protecting your heart from harm, quit smoking as soon as possible. 
2. Drink Moderately
Recent studies have shown that a once daily glass of beer or wine is actually beneficial to the heart. If you like to drink and you often drink way more than the beneficial amount of alcohol, alcohol can be extremely damaging to your body and the health of your heart. If you drink more than the beneficial amount of alcohol per day, it is wise to cut down on your alcohol intake if you want to protect your heart. 
3. Exercise
If you truly want to create a lifetime of health that will help you avoid heart disease, you must exercise. You don’t have to join a gym to get the exercise you need, simply taking a walk will do. Any type of energy you exert during the day, be it while housecleaning, or from a jog around the neighborhood, exercise is an important way to stay healthy while fighting off heart disease. 
4. Good Diet
What you eat is very important to the overall health of your body and your heart. If you have a diet that consists mainly of fast food or other unhealthy, vitamin lacking meals, you can do damage not only to your body, but also to your heart. Try to make sure that your diet is full of food rich in the important vitamins and minerals that are essential to good health. What you eat can have a drastic impact on the health of your heart so if you want to protect it, you need to eat healthier. 
 
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death. While it may be a horrible disease to have which can seriously endanger your life, the good news is that you have the power save your heart health. By committing to a lifetime of health and fitness techniques that will keep both your body and heart healthy, you will be committing to a lifetime of good health.
 
Peter Larnick writes about health, finance & more at www.lifeinsurancequotes.org
 
If we could only teach our children to stay away from the junk food and exercise more, we’d see a healthier group of young people, too! pb  Thank you for this excellent article, teaching us the simple basics of a healthy life. pb

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Guest Post U

The University of Great Content
General Safety Issues

IT’S TIME FOR THE GREAT AMERICAN SMOKEOUT!

Smokers will think “NOT AGAIN!” when they hear about the Great American Smokeout planned for Thursday, November 17th.  This is the 36th annual smoke-free day sponsored by the American Cancer Society, who encourages tobacco smokers and chewers to quit for ONE day, and hopefully, forever.  The Smokeout draws attention to deaths and health damage caused by smoking.  It has also contributed to bans on smoking in workplaces and restaurants, increased taxes on cigarettes, limitations on cigarette promotions in the media, attempts to discourage teen smoking, and other countless actions to reduce tobacco use. 

There are approximately 46 million Americans that continue to smoke.  According to the CDC, 443,000 deaths result from smoking and second-hand smoke, $96 Billion in health care costs and $97 Billion in lost production occur annually.  Here are some facts from the U.S. Surgeon General and American Cancer Society that point out the benefits of quitting: 

  •        Your heart rate and blood pressure drop 20 minutes after quitting.
  •        Your circulation improves and your lung function increases within 2 weeks to 3 months after quitting.
  •        The carbon monoxide level in your blood drops to normal 12 hours after quitting.
  •        One to nine months after quitting, coughing and shortness of breath decrease; normal function in the lungs is regained, which reduces the risk of infection.
  •        One year after quitting, the risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a smoker’s.
  •        Five years after quitting, the stroke risk is reduced to that of a nonsmoker 5 to 15 years after quitting.
  •        Ten years after quitting, the lung cancer death rate is about half that of a continuing smoker’s. 
  •        The risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, cervix, and pancreas decrease.
  •        Fifteen years after quitting, risk of coronary heart disease is that of a nonsmoker’s. 

It is a very hard habit to break, but consider the health benefits as listed above, not to mention creating a safer environment for those non-smokers who have to breathe secondhand smoke!  Approximately two out of three smokers want to quit, and 52.4% of current adult smokers tried to quit within the past year. Healthcare providers should routinely identify smokers and other tobacco users, advise them to quit, and assist those trying to quit .  Getting help (e.g., through counseling or medication) can double or triple the chances for quitting. 

Workplaces that make the choice to become smoke-free would see increased productivity, fewer sick days and lower insurance claims by employees.  Employers could reward their workers who stop smoking by paying a membership fee to a health club, treat them to an occasional free breakfast or lunch, or come up with other innovative ideas.  

People have the right to choose what to do with their body; however, when facts prove that smoking damages almost every organ in the human body and is linked to at least fifteen different cancers, that should be reason enough for tobacco users to consider stopping.  Besides that, think of all the money that could be saved!  So, Thursday, come on, we dare you!  You can do it for at least one day…then another….and another!

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues

MAKE HEALTHY CHOICES TODAY FOR BETTER SIGHT TOMORROW!

Many Americans have made the pledge to lead healthier lifestyles this year.  One of the benefits of this pledge could help save their sight, something they may not have thought about.  They may not realize that  the effects of smoking, poor diet and inactive lifestyle can lead to eye disease and significant vision loss and that by establishing healthy habits the risk for blinding eye diseases, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD), can be lessened.  Because January was National Eyecare Month and Glaucoma Awareness Month, we focused on two articles: “Understanding the Value of Eye Safety”, and “Are Your Eyes Wide Open When it Comes to Keeping a Check on Them?”  We hope you will review those articles if you have questions regarding this important topic.

The month of February is recognized as “AMD/Low Vision Awareness Month,” so we need to continue emphasizing how very important taking care of our vision is.  AMD is the leading cause of vision loss and blindness for those ages 65 and older.  It usually begins as a loss of central vision, which results in difficulty to read or see fine details.  It affects the macula, which is in the center of the retina.  Over time, the vision loss progresses significantly. Although there is promising research into the disease, unfortunately, there is still no cure.  Risks to middle-aged persons of having AMD is only about 2%, but after age 65, the risk is greater.

However, steps can be taken to reduce the risk.  Quitting smoking is essential to maintain healthy vision.  Research shows that smokers are up to four times more likely than non-smokers to be diagnosed with AMD.  And, non-smokers living with smokers almost double their risk of developing AMD through second-hand smoke.  The World Health Organization names smoking as the only modifiable risk factor for AMD.

Eating a diet filled with green leafy vegetables rich in Lutein can also help lessen the risk of AMD.  Lutein is a naturally occurring molecule found vegetables such as spinach, kale and collard greens. It can also be found in corn, egg yolks and other vegetables and fruits.  Eating foods high in zinc, vitamins C and E, and beta carotene has also been shown to help slow the progression of AMD in some patients, according to the National Eye Institute (NEI).  Frequently eating nuts or fish, such as salmon, tuna or mackerel, may also help reduce the risk.

According to the AMD Alliance International (AMDAI), certain foods should also be avoided, including foods and processed baked goods with high-fat content.  A high-fat, high-cholesterol diet can lead to fatty plaque deposits in the macular vessels, which can hamper blood flow.  Research has indicated that those consuming red meat at least 10 times a week or more were at a 47 percent higher risk for AMD.

The risk of vision loss from eye diseases, including AMD, can be lowered if adults:

  • Control blood pressure and cholesterol
  • Stay active and exercise regularly
  • Get a complete eye exam from an eye care professional
  • Watch their weight
  • Do not smoke

“We all know the steps we should take to take better care of ourselves,” said Hugh R. Parry, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness America.  “What we want to stress is how leading a healthy life can help lead to healthy vision.” 

Keep in mind that you don’t have to grow old to have AMD, but if you take care of yourself as you age, you have a better chance to avoid it.  Some other risk factors include: obesity, family history, gender (females have a greater risk than men of having AMD), and race (Caucasians have a greater risk than African Americans to have AMD).  Prevent Blindness America and the National Eye Institute offer excellent resources for those with low vision problems.  We acknowledge both these programs for sharing this important information.