Tag Archives: stroke

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

Ignoring Heart Disease Won’t Lower Your Risk

We don’t want to rain on your parade during the holidays, but here is a very insightful look at heart disease, some of the causes and preventive measures we should take.  We usually make a New Year’s Resolution to lose weight, so hopefully, this great article sent to us by Shannon Lochwood will help us realize how very important it is to be heart-healthy and keep that resolution! 

Heart-Disease-Infographic

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

FEBRUARY – AMERICAN HEART MONTH

We can say goodbye to January; we hope that it was a wonderful first month of the New Year for everyone!  The month of February brings Valentine’s Day, on the 14th, with thoughts of expressing your love for your spouse, children, boyfriend/girlfriend, those who are dear to you, by remembering them with a special card, gift of candy or flowers, or doing something thoughtful for them.  February is American Heart Month, and the best gift we can give ourselves and those we love is to be “heart-healthy” in our daily lives. 

The first Friday in February is “Wear Red Day.”  Americans nationwide will take women’s health to heart by wearing red to show their support for women’s heart disease awareness.  Most of us have lost loved ones to heart disease and stroke.  Women may not respond to the warning signs of an heart attack, as they may be different from the symptoms men experience when having one.  Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the U.S.  One in every three deaths is from heart disease and stroke, equal to 2,200 deaths per day.  In September, 2011, a national initiative began to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes in the next five years. Million Hearts  has the support of multiple federal agencies and key private organizations, including the American Heart Association, American Pharmacists’ Association, the YMCA, Walgreens and United Health Care.  This group will be pursuing commitments and participation from many more partners in health care, public health, industry and government. 

Here are some things you can do to protect yourself and loved ones from heart disease and stroke.  First, challenge your family and friends to take the Million Hearts  pledge at www.millionhearts.hhs.gov.  Here’s some other suggestions to help:

  • Know your ABC’s:
  • Ask your doctor if you should take an Aspirin each day.
  • Find out if you have high Blood Pressure or Cholesterol, and if you do, get effective treatment.
  • If you Smoke, get help to quit.
  • Take control of your heart health by following your doctor’s prescription instructions.
  • Make your calories count by eating a heart-healthy diet high in fresh fruits and vegetables and low in sodium and trans fat.
  • Select fat-free, one per cent fat, and low-fat dairy products.
  • Cut back on foods containing partially hydrogenated vegetable oils to reduce trans fat in your diet.
  • Choose lean meats and poultry without skin and prepare them without added saturated and trans fat.
  • Exercise!  Try to be physically active for at least 30 minutes each day.  Take the time – you deserve it – and you will feel better for it! 

Know these signs of a heart attack.  According to the National Heart, Blood and Lung Institute, these may mean that a heart attack is in progress:

  • Chest discomfort.  Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back.  It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
  • Shortness of breath; may occur with or without chest discomfort.
  • Discomfort in other areas of the upper body.  Symptoms may include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
  • Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or lightheadedness. 

Regardless of where you live in this big world, we hope you will take care of your heart, and it will take care of you.  Keeping healthy through exercise and proper diet is a good way to prevent heart disease and other illnesses.  Love your family and friends by loving your heart!

General Safety Issues

DO YOU KNOW THE SIGNS OF STROKE?

Are you aware that stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and that approximately 137,000 Americans die each year, resulting from stroke?  Cause of stroke is usually either a clot blocking the blood vessels, or bleeding in the brain.  It is important to recognize the signs of stroke and get medical help immediately.  The faster a person can receive medical attention, the greater their chance of recovery.  Because death or serious disabilities can be caused by stroke, here are some important symptoms to watch for:
q Sudden numbness, paralysis, or weakness in face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
q Abrupt vision changes.
q Slurred speech, drooling, or feeling confused.
q A severe headache that feels different from normal headaches and comes on quickly.
If you are with someone whom you suspect may be having a stroke, call for help immediately.  Some signs of stroke may be that the person may not be able to smile, talk, such as speak simple sentences, or raise both arms.  A rule of thumb to remember is S-T-R, which describes things you may ask them to do while waiting for an ambulance.  But a doctor must diagnose and treat the person, and time is of the essence!
There are many factors that contribute to stroke.  Keep these in mind:
à High blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglycerides, diabetes, obesity.  These are conditions that should be monitored often.  Salt intake should be limited.
à Risky behaviors, such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, or physical inactivity.
à Heredity also plays a role in the risk of stroke.
Because I lost both my parents and three of my grandparents to stroke, I have known that there are things I must do to try to stay healthy.  I love to eat sweets, and I would be fibbing if I told you I always eat healthy.  But I exercise every day, (I still walk my dog Buddy every day, as well as go to the fitness center), watch my blood pressure, and try to avoid stress if possible.
A stroke can be debilitating for an individual and their family, as well.  We are fortunate that physical and occupational rehabilitation can restore patients to their normal functions in some cases.  By paying attention to our bodies and living a healthy lifestyle as much as possible, we all must try to avoid being a victim of stroke.
Source:
Centers for Disease Control
Web M.D.
Are you aware that stroke is the third leading cause of death in the United States, and that approximately 137,000 Americans die each year, resulting from stroke?  Cause of stroke is usually either a clot blocking the blood vessels, or bleeding in the brain.  It is important to recognize the signs of stroke and get medical help immediately.  The faster a person can receive medical attention, the greater their chance of recovery.  Because death or serious disabilities can be caused by stroke, here are some important symptoms to watch for:
  • Sudden numbness, paralysis, or weakness in face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body.
  • Abrupt vision changes.
  • Slurred speech, drooling, or feeling confused.
  • A severe headache that feels different from normal headaches and comes on quickly.
If you are with someone whom you suspect may be having a stroke, call for help immediately.  Some signs of stroke may be that the person may not be able to smile, talk, such as speak simple sentences, or raise both arms.  A rule of thumb to remember is S-T-R, which describes things you may ask them to do while waiting for an ambulance.  But a doctor must diagnose and treat the person, and time is of the essence!
There are many factors that contribute to stroke.  Keep these in mind:
  • High blood pressure, high cholesterol or triglycerides, diabetes, obesity.  These are conditions that should be monitored often.  Salt intake should be limited.
  • Risky behaviors, such as smoking, drinking too much alcohol, or physical inactivity.
  • Heredity also plays a role in the risk of stroke.
Because I lost both my parents and three of my grandparents to stroke, I have known that there are things I must do to try to stay healthy.  I love to eat sweets, and I would be fibbing if I told you I always eat healthy.  But I exercise every day, (I still walk my dog Buddy every day, as well as go to the fitness center), watch my blood pressure, and try to avoid stress if possible.
A stroke can be debilitating for an individual and their family, as well.  We are fortunate that physical and occupational rehabilitation can restore patients to their normal functions in some cases.  By paying attention to our bodies and living a healthy lifestyle as much as possible, we all must try to avoid being a victim of stroke.
Source:
Centers for Disease Control
Web M.D.