Happy Valentine's Day and Heart Health Awareness Month!
If you have a sweetheart or kids, then you know February 14 is Valentine's Day. This is a great holiday to celebrate our love for the people in our lives.
February is also National Heart Health Awareness Month!
Heart disease is America's number one killer and men and women are equally at risk for developing it.
Limit Your Risk
These simple lifestyle and diet choices can limit your risk:
- Eat a diet low in fat and cholesterol.
- Limit your salt intake, as it can increase blood pressure.
- Read food labels so you know what's in the food you're eating.
- Eat healthy, fiber rich foods like fruits and vegetables.
- Limit alcohol consumption. Heavy drinking can increase blood pressure.
- Maintain a healthy weight. Excess fat increases the risk for heart disease.
- Exercise. Walking is great exercise.
Signs of a Heart Attack
Most heart attacks start slow, with mild pain or discomfort and may include:
- 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.
- Discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without discomfort.
- Cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
In addition to chest pain or discomfort, women are more likely to experience shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.
Take Action
If you think you're having a heart attack, call 911 and get help. Most people wait too long to get help. Minutes matter and can save lives.
In the meantime, CPR can be a life saver for the victim. Continuous Chest Compression CPR is said to be more effective than traditional CPR for saving heart attack victim's lives. For details, go to http://medicine.arizona.edu/spotlight/learn-sarver-heart-centers-continuous-chest-compression-cpr.
Go to the American Heart Association website at www.heart.org for more information on how to maintain a healthy heart.
