February is American Heart Month, a time to focus on cardiovascular health. As we celebrate the month of love, store displays plastered with hearts serve as an important reminder that heart disease prevention is vital to overall health.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), heart disease is the leading cause of death in adults in the U.S.
While most of the risk factors of heart disease are generally well-known, it’s important to understand there are some lesser-known determinants.
Risk factors*
- Chest pain, pressure, burning, aching or tightness – it may come and go
- A family history of cardiovascular disease
- High blood pressure
- Overweight or obese
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Using tobacco products
- Metabolic disease, diabetes or other illnesses
- For women it can also include birth control pills, a history of pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes or having a baby with low birth weight
* These are the general risk factors. Discuss your risk with your doctor.
Because anyone can be at risk, Early Heart Attack Care (EHAC) education teaches the early signs and symptoms of a heart attack, which can include:
Feeling of fullness; pain that travels down one or both arms; jaw pain; excessive fatigue or weakness; anxiety; nausea or vomiting; back pain; shortness of breath; chest pressure, squeezing, aching, or burning.
Some heart attack symptoms can be different between men and women. This can often result in women being less likely to seek immediate medical care, which can cause more damage to the heart.
- Men normally feel pain and numbness in the left arm or side of the chest, but in women, these symptoms may appear on the right side.
- Women may feel completely exhausted, drained, dizzy or nauseous.
- Women may feel upper back pain that travels up into their jaw.
- Women may think their stomach pain is the flu, heartburn or an ulcer.
Someone experiencing a heart event might have one or more of these common symptoms. When they start, they can be mild or come and go. Over time, the symptoms and pain become more intense. Stay alert and always pay attention to chest pressure.
Most heart damage can occur within the first two hours of a heart attack. EHAC encourages you to know the subtle signs of a heart attack and act on them before heart damage occurs.
Prevention is key
A CT angiogram identifies early detection of heart disease by detecting plaque in the walls of your arteries before an obstructive heart attack occurs. Call today or talk to your provider to see if a preventative CT angiogram is right for you. Carrollton Regional Medical Center’s state-of-the-art 640-slice CT scanner, the first of its kind in North Texas, provides a three-second heart scan that uses a low dose of radiation and contrast.
Stay Calm! Save a Life
If you miss the early signs and someone collapses, call 911 and begin hands-only CPR. It takes just minutes to learn, but you could be adding years to someone's life. If an AED is available, deploy it as soon as possible. AEDs provide easy to follow verbal instructions in order to help someone.
Carrollton Regional Medical Center is a 216 - bed Acute Care Hospital managed by Sana Healthcare. CRMC serves Carrollton, Farmers Branch, Lewisville, The Colony, and other surrounding communities. CRMC offers an array of services including 24/7 Emergency Care, Cardiac Catheterization Lab, Imaging Services, Rehabilitation and Therapy Services, Cancer Care, a 16- bed Intensive Care Unit, Surgical Services, and an Inpatient Orthopedic Center of Excellence. Our Women’s Imaging Center is just 2 blocks north of the hospital and provides 3D digital mammography and other specialized breast procedures. CRMC is here to serve its community with high quality, patient-focused care, close to home. Visit www.crmc.health.