Thursday, February 11, 2010

Heart Health Month



Poetry spills from the cracks of a broken heart,
but flows from one which is loved.


~ Christopher Paul Rubero


February is the month when we look forward to Spring being just around the corner. It is this shortest of all months that the 14th has been set aside to celebrate those that we love on Valentines Day. What better time of the year to designate as Heart Health Month.

Many people deny that they are having a heart attack because they are not feeling pains in their chest. Although the chest pains often accompany a heart attack it isn't always present. Some of the signs of a heart attack is a heaviness or pain that can spread to the left arm, neck or jaw. Many people that are experiencing a heart attack complain of shortness of breath. Often during a heart attack you may feel a burning in your chest that too many times is put off as heart burn..... It is better to be safe than sorry, treat it as a heart attack symptom. Some experience the feeling of a sense of foreboding or doom. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms follow your heart to the phone and dial 911. Do Not try to drive yourself to the hospital. The EMTs and Paramedics that will come to your rescue by dialing 911 have the knowledge and tools to keep you alive during the trip to the hospital.

There is a misconception that a stroke and heart attack are the same thing. A stroke is caused by a decreased blood flow to the brain, while with a heart attack the decreased blood flow is to the heart.

A stroke looks very different from a heart attack. Strokes often lead to a weakness on one side, confusion, difficulty speaking and even unconsciousness. Getting medical help as soon as possible could mean the difference between surviving or not surviving a stroke or a heart attack.

As much knowledge as you can arm yourself with about heart health is your best chance to live to celebrate many more Valentines Days with the one you love.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hello! It's your anonymous daughter again! :) You know, I just heard on the news yesterday that most women don't know the signs of a heart attack. And what's even worse, once they were told the signs, they still said they probably wouldn't call 911 if they experienced those signs! Scary stuff. I love you! :)