Heart Disease

What is Heart Disease?

Heart disease is a broad term that includes many types of heart conditions like high blood pressure, heart attacks, or coronary artery disease. Did you know it’s the leading cause of death within the United States? Heart disease is often hard to diagnose early because the symptoms could be caused by many things.
A few symptoms of heart disease and their specific causes are:

Heart Attack:

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Upper back or neck pain
• Indigestion
• Heartburn
• Nausea or vomiting
• Extreme fatigue
• Dizziness
• Shortness of breath

Heart Failure:

• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins

Arrhythmia:

• Fluttering feelings in chest, also known as palpitations

There are three key risk factors for heart disease has many risk factors:

• High blood pressure
• High blood cholesterol
• Smoking

If you have heart disease, you can help manage it by:

• Lifestyle changes that promote healthy eating and physical activity
• Learning to better manage stress
• Speaking with your physician about your options and medication

For more information, please visit: CDC or American Heart Association.

High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the pressure of your blood pushing against the walls of your arteries (vessels that carry blood from your heart throughout your body). This pressure can change during different times of the day, depending on the activities you participate in.

High blood pressure can also be called hypertension. It does not typically have any symptoms or warning signs. Usually, it is noticed after monitoring which is why it is so important to see your doctor regularly. High blood pressure can damage your organs and makes you more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, or kidney disease.

High blood pressure can be prevented by:

• Getting at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day
• Not smoking
• Eating a healthy diet
• Limiting how much alcohol you drink
• Limiting how much salt you eat
• Maintaining a healthy weight
• Managing stress in a healthy way

For more information, please visit: CDC or American Heart Association.

Heart Attack

A heart attack happens when a part of the heart muscle does not get enough blood. A heart attack is also called a myocardial infarction. The quicker you can get treatment, the less damage there will be. Call 9-1-1 immediately if you notice symptoms of a heart attack.

The symptoms of a heart attack are:

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Feeling weak, light-headed, or faint
• Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, and back
• Pain or discomfort in one or both arms or shoulders
• Shortness of breath
• Being tired
• Nausea or vomiting

You are more likely to experience a heart attack if you have any of the following:

• High blood pressure
• Unhealthy blood cholesterol levels
• Diabetes
• Obesity

Once a person has one heart attack, their chances of having another goes up. To prevent this and other health problems, follow these steps:

• Track your physical activity and talk with your doctor to make sure you are not doing too much or too little activity
• Work on your lifestyle habits to eat healthier, manage stress well, and quit smoking
• Participate in cardiac rehabilitation program monitored by professionals which includes the following activities: physical activity, education about healthy living, and counseling to find ways to relieve stress

For more information, please visit: CDC or American Heart Association.

Risk Factors

Heart health is incredibly important in planning what type of life you want. Prevent heart diseases by recognizing these risk factors:

• High blood pressure
• Unhealthy blood cholesterol levels
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Eating unhealthily
• Not getting enough physical activity; you should be getting at least 30 minutes a day
• Drinking too much alcohol – having more than one drink a day for women and two drinks a day for men
• Smoking

Heart health can be easily changed by daily activities. It is important to contact your doctor if you notice any changes in your health. It is also important to have regular check-ups and discuss the future of your health.

For more information, please visit: CDC or American Heart Association.