Take care of your heart and your heart will take care of you. Extensive clinical and statistical studies have identified several factors that increase the risk of coronary heart disease or heart attack.
Major risks that you can modify include smoking, high cholesterol, blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes. Keeping active, eating healthy, and not smoking are good habits that will lessen your chance of many health conditions and diseases. Prairie Lakes' patient Shera had been smoking for 45 years when she had a heart attack last year. Now she has a story to tell. Shera's testimonial will be played at Ladies Night Out February 27th.
It's hard to tell what's happening to you in the moment. Most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. It is important to know the signs. The American Heart Association recommends watching these symptoms as a sign of a heart attack:
- Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. 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 with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
If you think you or someone you love maybe at risk for a heart attack or heart disease, Prairie Lakes offers Target Heart Screenings for only $45. Consider Target Heart if you have any of the following risk factors: Family history of heart disease | High cholesterol | History of smoking | High blood pressure | High stress levels | Sedentary lifestyle | Diabetes | Overweight | Postmenopausal female