It’s American Heart Month. Learn the warning signs of heart attack and stroke and how you can reduce your risk.
Heart Attack
A heart attack happens when blood flow to the heart muscle is reduced or blocked. The amount of damage to the heart muscle partly depends on the time between injury and treatment. So, it’s essential to catch the signs of a heart attack early. Pay attention to your body and call 911 if you or someone nearby has:
- Chest discomfort. Most people having a heart attack feel discomfort in the center of the chest. It can last more than a few minutes, or it may go away and then return. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath. This can happen with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs. These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, lightheadedness or a rapid or irregular heartbeat.
Chest pain or discomfort is the most common symptom for men and women, but women may have other symptoms typically less associated with heart attack, such as anxiety, shortness of breath, vomiting and arm, jaw or back pain.
Stroke
A stroke happens when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is blocked by a blood clot or bursts. When that happens, part of the brain is starved of blood and oxygen, so brain cells begin to die. As with a heart attack, quick action is critical in recognizing a stroke and getting help.
F.A.S.T. is an easy way to remember how to recognize a stroke and what to do.
- Face drooping. Does one side of the face droop, or is it numb? Ask the person to smile. Is the smile uneven?
- Arm weakness. Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
- Speech difficulty. Is speech slurred? Are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand?
- Time to Call 911. If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get them to the hospital right away.
Other symptoms of stroke include sudden:
- Confusion
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes
- Trouble walking
- Severe headache with no known cause
Reduce your risk
This month is a great time to focus on improving and maintaining your cardiovascular health. It’s never too late to make better health choices. Better cardiovascular health helps lower the risk of heart disease, stroke and other major health problems. You can achieve ideal cardiovascular health by adhering to the eight components of Life’s Essential 8™, the key measures to help you target healthy behaviors and manage your health factors.
- Eat better. Aim for an overall healthy eating pattern that includes whole foods, lots of fruits and vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds and cooking with nontropical oils such as olive and canola.
- Be more active. Adults should get 150 minutes of moderate physical activity or 75 minutes of vigorous physical activity each week (or some of both).
- Quit tobacco. Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Don’t smoke, vape or use other tobacco products and avoid second-hand smoke. If you smoke, get help to quit.
- Get healthy sleep. Most adults need between seven and nine hours of sleep each night. Adequate sleep promotes healing, improves brain function and reduces the risk for chronic diseases.
- Manage weight. Understanding how many calories you take in and your activity level can help you identify changes you want to make. To lose weight, you need to burn more calories than you eat.
- Control cholesterol. High levels of non-HDL, or “bad,” cholesterol can lead to heart disease. Get your cholesterol checked. Then, talk to your health care professional about your numbers and how they impact your risk.
- Manage blood sugar. Over time, high levels of blood sugar can damage your heart, kidneys, eyes and nerves. You should try to maintain a fasting blood sugar of less than 100 mg/dL or an A1C of less than 5.7%.
- Manage blood pressure. Keeping your blood pressure within acceptable ranges can keep you healthier longer. Levels less than 120/80 mm Hg are ideal.