American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month, sponsered by American Heart Association.  Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both genders in the United States. In fact, over 600,000 Americans die from it each year. 

What are somethings you could do to participate?

• Take a CPR class. CPR is a vital step in the cardiac chain of survival. It allows a responder to manually circulate oxygen carrying blood to the heart, brain, and other vital organs delaying biological death.
• Learn how to use an AED and where they are located. Every minute the use of an AED is delayed decreases the chances of reviving a victim of sudden cardiac arrest by 10%.
• Learn the signs and symptoms of a heart attack. Early recognition and activiation of the Emergency Medical Services System is critical. Personally, I say if I call EMS fast enough, they may get to the victim before she loses consciousness. This keeps me from needing to use my CPR skills.
• Realize that the signs and symptoms of a heart attack are different for men and women.
• Quit smoking.
• Start exercising.
• Eat healthier.

There are many ways to help decrease your chances of developing heart disease. My Sunday blog posts in February are going to feature Heart topics.

I hope everyone has a Heart Healthy month!