February - American Heart Month
February is set aside as American Heart Awareness Month to bring awareness to heart disease which is the number one killer of men and women in America. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that half of Americans have at least one of the top four risk factors for heart disease:
- High Blood Pressure
- High Cholesterol
- Smoking Obesity
Know your risk factors and learn how to be heart healthy. You can decrease these risk factors by adopting healthy lifestyles that include:
- Walking thirty minutes for four or more days a week
- Decreasing salt in the diet.
- Stop Smoking.
- Taking your medications as prescribed.
Heart symptoms and Heart attack symptoms that you should never ignore:
- Chest Discomfort/pain (Women are more likely to describe chest pressure.)
- Nausea, Vomiting, Indigestion, Heartburn or Stomach Pain. (Women are more likely to report this, especially those with Diabetes and or hypertension.)
- Pain, tingling or numbness that spreads to the left arm. (Women may experience right arm/shoulder pain.)
- You suddenly feel Dizzy or Lightheaded and with chest discomfort. (Women report this more often.)
- Throat or Jaw Pain or tingling that spreads up from your chest.
- You Get Exhausted Easily-suddenly feeling winded or short of breath after doing something you had no problem doing in the past.
- Snoring-this could be sleep-apnea which puts extra stress on your heart. (Women report trouble sleeping in the week leading up to a heart attack.)
- Breaking out in a cold sweat along with chest discomfort.
- Long lasting cough with pink or white mucus could be a sign of heart failure.
- Swelling in legs, feet and ankles could be a sign that your heart does not pump adequately.
- Irregular Heartbeat
- New onset of fatigue (Women more often report this.)
Always follow up with your doctor if you experience any of the symptoms mentioned above. Call 911 and do not drive yourself or have someone to drive you to the Emergency Room if you think you are having a heart attack.
Join the Health & Wellness Ministry for the following Heart Awareness events:
10 AM Health & Wellness - Wear Red Sunday | St. John Missionary Baptist