Every 37 seconds, someone dies from heart and blood vessel diseases, America’s No. 1 killer. Since most of those deaths are from coronary heart disease-about 446,000 each year-it’s important to learn all you can about heart attacks. Don’t ignore heart problems. It’s a matter of life and death!
A heart attack occurs when the blood flow to a part of the heart is blocked, usually by a blood clot. If this clot cuts off the blood flow completely the part of the heart muscle supplied by that artery begins to die.
Here are some signs of a heart attack:
• Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and come back.
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or light-headedness.
• If you have any of these signs, don’t wait more than 5 minutes before calling for help. Call 911…get to a hospital right away
REDUCING YOUR RISKS
• Don’t smoke, and avoid other people’s tobacco smoke.
• Lower your blood pressure if you need to. Treat high blood pressure if you have it.
• Eat a healthy diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and salt.
• Exercise at least 30 minuets on most or all days of the week.
• Keep your weight under control.
• Control your blood sugar if you have diabetes.
• Follow your doctors orders for taking medicine.
