Heart Disease
Heart Disease is the cause of death in 1 out of 4 people in the United States. That makes it the main cause of death for both men and women. The most common type of heart disease is Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). CAD can cause heart attacks.
Symptoms of a Heart Attack include:
Chest discomfort: Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or goes away and come back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
Discomfort in other areas of the upper body: Can include pain and discomfort in one or both arms, back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
Shortness of breath: Can often come with chest discomfort. But it also can come before chest discomfort.
Other symptoms: Can include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light headedness.
If you think that you or someone you know is having a heart attack, you should call 911 immediately.
Preventing Heart Disease
The choices you make can help you from getting heart disease. First, it is important to know your risk factors for heart disease. Risk factors are the things that make it more likely that you will get heart disease.
Risk factors include:
- Health conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol
- Choices like food, exercise, and alcohol and tobacco use
- Family history of heart disease
- Age
Some risk factors like age and family history cannot be changes. Making changes to your lifestyle and seeing your doctor for check-ups, also called preventive screenings, can help you control many risk factors. Learn more about preventing heart disease on the CDC website - https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/prevention.htm
Know the Facts about Heart Disease (Fact Sheet)
Stroke
Stroke is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. A stroke happens when there is not enough blood going to your brain. Without blood, the brain is not getting oxygen and the brain cells begin to die. Stroke is a major cause of disabilities.
There are 3 kinds of stroke:
Ischemic stoke: Can be caused by a blood clot that stops the blood from going to the brain.
Hemorrhagic stroke: Can come from an artery leaking blood in the brain and damaging brain cells.
Transient Ischemic Attack: Also called a mini-stroke can happen when blood flow to the brain is only blocked for a short time.
The FAST test can help you figure out if a person is having a stroke:
F = Face: Ask the person to smile. Does one side of the face droop?
A = Arms: Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?
S = Speech: Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence. Does the speech sound slurred or strange?
T = Time: If you see any of these signs, call 9-1-1 or get to the nearest hospital.
Preventing Strokes
Like preventing heart disease, you can help prevent strokes by making healthy lifestyle choices. The risk factors for stroke are the same as for heart diseases. Some of the health condition are also the same but include having diabetes.
Make lifestyle changes like eating healthy and getting more exercise. If you drink alcohol, reduce the amount you drink or quit drinking. If you smoke, work towards quitting. Learn more about quitting smoking on our Tobacco Cessation & Prevention page by clicking here - Tobacco Cessation. And remember to see your doctor for check-ups as part of your prevention plan.
Learn more about preventing stokes from the CDC - https://www.cdc.gov/stroke/prevention.htm
Know the Facts about a Stroke (Fact Sheet)
