Heart - Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX

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Heart - Dallas/Ft. Worth

Dallas Heart

Chest Pain

Chest pains can indicate a life-threatening event. Know which hospital provides 24 hours emergency cardiac care and know CPR. If symptoms occur, call 911 or have someone take you to the hospital. There are two types of chest pain requiring immediate attention. The first is angina. This is chest pain resulting from a partially blocked artery in your heart. Some of the symptoms are pressure and pain located in the center of the chest, pain traveling to other parts of the body and pain that occurs during emotional and physical stress.,p> The second type of chest pain requiring immediate attention is a heart attack. Some of the warning signs are a crushing and squeezing sensation of the breastbone, shortness of breath, dizziness, pain radiating down the left side of the body, gray color of the face and lips, and sweating. If you experience either type of chest pain, immediate action is essential.

Excersize

Regular aerobic exercise can help improve your cardiovascular health. You can feel, look and work better! You can improve your circulation and your ability to breathe. Exercise can help you fight anxiety, stress and depression. A regular walking program of 30 to 60 minutes, three to four times a week, can help condition the body. If you've not exercised regularly, check with your doctor first. Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during and after exercise. If it's too hot to exercise outdoors, try an indoor facility. You should avoid walking during the hottest part of the day. Wear comfortable shoes and clothing. Besides walking, other aerobic workouts are hiking, jogging, bicycling, swimming, playing tennis, racquetball and basketball. Remember, exercise is good for your heart.

High Blood Pressure

Blood pressure is the push of blood against the wall of the arteries. High blood pressure means the heart is working harder to pump blood. It is often called the silent killer because it has no symptoms. Yet 90% of the cases of high blood pressure have no specific cause, but there are contributing factors. Beyond your control are the factors of age, race, family, history and gender. The older you are, the more at risk you are. The disease is more severe in African Americans. It runs in families and men are more likely to develop it than women.

The controllable factors are obesity, salt intake, alcohol consumption, oral contraceptives and lack of exercise. If a woman is pregnant, high blood pressure can develop in the last three months of pregnancy. If a woman has already reached menopause, her chances of high blood pressure become greater. Your doctor may suggest you lose weight, exercise regularly, limit your salt intake, and, if necessary, prescribe medication.

Women's Heart Disease

Heart disease is the number one killer of American women. Yet it is still thought of as a man's disease. Six times as many women will die from heart disease than from breast cancer. What can you do? Know the warning sign of angina; it feels like a pressure, heaviness or squeezing across the middle of your chest. It comes on gradually and then fades away. Report these symptoms to your doctor immediately. After menopause, or hysterectomy, a woman's cholesterol level begins to rise bringing with it the risk of heart disease. Diabetes is a contributing factor as well as family history. Other factors include the increasing number of women in the workplace, maintaining constant stress levels, being overweight and not getting enough exercise. Overweight women are also at a higher risk as are short women. Know your risk factors and change the things you can.

Risk Factors

Heart disease and disease of the blood vessels are the number one killers today. In fact, every thirty-four seconds, someone dies of a heart attack, a stroke or some other heart-related condition. Fortunately, if you know the risk factors for these diseases, you can take preventive measures to lower your risks. One of the most significant risk factors is family history. Another factor is age. The older you get, the more likely you are to develop heart problems. Gender also plays a role. Men are more likely than women to suffer from heart disease.

While there's not much you can do to change your family history, gender and age, there ARE other risk factors you CAN control. If you smoke - quit. If your blood pressure is high, or your have diabetes, see your doctor regularly to keep these conditions under control. Try to reduce the stress in your life. If you are sedentary or overweight, start exercising regularly and shed those extra pounds. Remember, with education and a bit of behavior modification, you can reduce your health risks significantly.

This educational content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal, financial, home improvement or health advice. Content on this page is provided by Ask The Experts and not the featured advertiser.


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