Avoid Secondhand Smoke to Prevent Heart Attacks and Louisville CPR Classes

Like smoking, secondhand smoke exposure is as big a risk factor for having a life-threatening heart attack. Breathing secondhand smoke can result in the cells in the blood that are responsible for clotting (platelets) to become stickier increasing the likelihood for blood to clot which can cause formation of a clot that may block an artery, causing a heart attack (myocardial infarction) or stroke. Furthermore, secondhand smoke causes endothelial dysfunction which makes arteries unable to dilate which is associated with many forms of cardiovascular disease.

Secondhand smoke is a combination of smoke from the burning end of a cigarette and smoke breathed out by smokers that contains more than 7000 chemicals. The chemicals also irritate the lining of arteries, causing them to swell (inflammation) which can narrow the arteries increasing the risk of having chest pain related to the ticker (angina) and even a heart attack.

Signing up for a CPR certification Louisville program will equip you in the life-saving procedure which will enable you to efficiently handle out-of-hospital cardiac emergencies like a cardiac arrest or heart attack. Seconds count when someone’s blood flow ore breathing stops which can result in permanent brain damage or death. You could save a life if you know how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation which is an emergency procedure for a person whose heart has stopped or is no longer breathing. Proper application of the procedure can maintain circulation and breathing until emergency medical help arrives. For training, select a certified training site such as the AHA certified CPR Louisville in Kentucky.

Secondhand Smoke Facts:

1.      Numerous health problems occur in children and infants that include more frequent and severe asthma attacks, respiratory and ear infections and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

2.      During pregnancy, smoking can result in more than 1000 infant deaths annually.

3.      Coronary heart disease, stroke and lung cancer are some of the health conditions caused by secondhand smoke.

Breathing secondhand smoke can have immediate adverse effects on the blood and blood vessels increasing the risk of having a heart attack as it interferes with the normal functioning of the heart, blood and vascular systems. The lining of blood vessels can get damaged even with brief exposure to secondhand smoke causing blood platelets to become stickier which can cause a deadly heart attack.

You can avoid secondhand smoke by:

1.      Avoiding the smoke exhaled by others and avoiding places others are smoking.

2.      Encouraging smokers around you to quit smoking or encouraging them to smoke in outdoor areas which will reduce the amount of secondhand smoke others will breathe.

3.      Giving an explanation of the harmful effects of smoke to others and for the smoker himself.

Avoiding secondhand smoke becomes all the more important for individuals who’ve had a previous heart attack or have been diagnosed with heart disease. Quitting smoking is the best way to reduce heart attack risk.

At CPR Louisville, courses for both healthcare and non-healthcare are offered. You can either register for a class online or call on 502-804-6132 for the same.

Protect your Heart with These Heart Healthy Strategies

Following a heart-healthy lifestyle can help you prevent heart disease thus keeping cardiac emergencies, such as a cardiac arrest at bay. Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death, but you aren’t required to accept it as your fate. Although you cannot change some non-modifiable risk factors, such as family history, sex or age but there are a few key steps that can be taken that can reduce your risk.

Adopt a healthy lifestyle today and avoid future heart problems. You can get started with these tips:

Quit Smoking- Smoking or using tobacco of any kind is a major risk factor which can be attributed to the presence of chemicals in tobacco that can damage your ticker and blood vessels leading to narrowing of arteries due to buildup of plaque (atherosclerosis) which can lead to a heart attack that can be deadly.

When it comes to smoking cigarettes, presence of carbon monoxide replaces some of the oxygen in the blood which increases the blood pressure and heart rate by forcing your ticker to work harder to supply sufficient oxygen.

No amount of smoking is safe when it comes to cardiovascular disease prevention. The greater your risk, the more you smoke. Secondhand smoke, smokeless tobacco and low-nicotine cigarettes also can be risky. Fortunately, the risk of cardiovascular disease starts lowering soon after quitting. You’ll start reaping benefits as soon as you quit regardless of how long or how much you smoked.

Regular Physical Activity- Regular exercise is key to good ticker-health and when combined with other lifestyle measures like maintaining a healthy weight, the payoff is even greater. Regular exercise can help you control your weight and lower your chances of developing other conditions that may put a strain on your ticker like high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.

Perform moderate exercise, such as brisk walking for about 30 minutes on most days of the week. Aim for 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity or 150 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity every week for greater health benefits. Consult with a doctor regarding appropriate exercise for you.

Eat a Healthy Diet- Two heart-healthy eating plans include the Mediterranean diet and Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan. Don’t consume salt and sugars in excess. Limit certain fats you eat such as saturated fat and trans fat. Major sources of saturated fat include red meat, coconut and palm oils, full-fat dairy products and major sources of trans fat include bakery products, packaged snack foods, deep-fried fast foods, margarines, etc. Look for terms like “partially hydrogenated” or “hydrogenated” on nutrition labels which means the product contains trans fat, so avoid those. Not all fats are bad as healthy fats from plant-based sources like avocado, nuts, olive oil, etc. can help to lower the bad type of cholesterol thus benefiting the heart.

The other healthy lifestyle measures include maintaining a healthy weight, getting enough quality sleep, reducing and managing stress and getting regular health screenings to know your numbers (blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes).

To sign up for a CPR course at CPR Louisville, contact us on 502-804-6132.

Smart Behaviors to Look Forward to for a Healthy Heart

According to experts, the path to a heart-healthy lifestyle is the easiest (contrary to popular belief of it being the most “difficult”) which contains things that you actually like to do. According to cardiologists, pleasant activities are more likely to become habits.

Keeping your ticker in good shape will keep heart disease at bay thus lowering your risk for a cardiac arrest or heart attack. These are life-threatening and you cannot predict their occurrence. What you can do is stay prepared to handle if and when the emergencies arise. Equipping yourself in the life-saving CPR procedure (comprising chest compressions and rescue breaths) can help you effectively deal with a cardiac emergency which can involve either a stranger or your loved one. For training, select a certified training site such as the AHA certified CPR Louisville in Kentucky. Certified instructors conduct the classes through a series of audio and video lectures and hands-on practice.

Few behaviors worth looking forward to that can be highly beneficial for your heart:

Relaxation Time- Just sit quietly for a few minutes, it’s self-preserving. Pursue yoga, meditation, deep breathing, etc. which will recharge you and keep damaging stress at bay thus ensuring good health of your ticker.

Get Adequate Sleep- Get your recommended seven to eight hours of nightly sleep as getting a less than optimal amount raises risk of cardiovascular disease.

Enlist Help of Friends- Exercising with a companion or a group is not only fun but helps you lose weight and maintain weight loss. It tends to motivate as you’re not grinding away in the gym by yourself. You can sign up for fitness classes, walking or biking groups. You can also compete with a friend through a fitness app.

Treat yourself to Dark Chocolate- Dark chocolates are full of antioxidants that can prove to be helpful in protecting blood vessels and can help blood pressure for a healthy heart. When purchasing, check the labels for at least 70 percent cocoa. Experts advise to purchase dark chocolate covered almonds and walnuts but eat them in moderation- a couple of ounces a day is more than enough.

Eat Outside- Mediterranean diet is extremely good for ticker and eating out will expose you to Mexican, Indian, Japanese, Ethiopian and North African dishes and many of them contain elements of the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet.

A Mediterranean menu for a typical lunch can provide tremendous benefits. For instance, incorporate a salmon salad on whole-grain bread and a low-fat yogurt in your lunch. Changing only this meal in your day and maintaining it can prove to be extremely useful.

Hope, you find this information to be useful.

For more information or to join a CPR course, contact CPR Louisville on 502-804-6132.

Increased Risk for Heart Disease and Stroke with Smoking

According to the American Heart Association, diseases caused by smoking kill more than 440,000 people in the U.S. every year with most new smokers being teens and children. Smokers are at an increased risk for lung disease including lung cancer and emphysema. They also have increased risk for stroke and cardiovascular disease with one out of every 5 smoking-related deaths being caused by cardiovascular disease. Individuals who smoke cigarettes are 2 to 4 times more likely to get heart disease than non-smokers and cigarette smoking also doubles a person’s risk for stroke.

Affect of Smoking on Heart:

Not only does smoking cause an instant and long-term rise in blood pressure but also an instant increase in heart rate. It reduces blood flow from the ticker and also reduces the amount of oxygen that reaches the body’s tissues. Smoking increases risk for blood clots and doubles the risk of stroke due to reduced blood flow to the brain. Smoking is also associated with depression and stress.

Cardiovascular Disease and Smoking:

Smoking is one of the primary risk factors for heart disease along with high cholesterol, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, obesity, and diabetes. The good thing is smoking is also the single most preventable cause of early death in the U.S.

Quitting Smoking:

Quitting smoking can significantly reduce your risk for cardiovascular disease, the risk for repeat heart attacks and death by cardiovascular disease. Smoking cessation is key in the management of many contributors to heart attack including atherosclerosis, blood clots and abnormal heart rhythms. You need to be mentally ready to be successful in your endeavor. In your endeavor to quit, you must overcome 2 obstacles- a physical addiction to nicotine and a habit. A few tips to help you quit using tobacco products:

1.     Choose a stress-free time to quit.

2.     Think about the reasons why you want to quit.

3.     Eat a balanced diet and get enough rest.

4.     Ask your friends, co-workers, family members to support and encourage you.

5.     Perform some exercise or activity each day to reduce stress and improve health.

6.     Join a smoking cessation program.

7.     Substitute your activities of smoking with newer healthier activities.

Nicotine replacement products can also be of help in breaking the smoking habit which continue to give smokers nicotine to meet their craving for nicotine. Moreover, the products do not contain the tars and toxic gases that cigarettes emit. It is advisable for pregnant or nursing women and individuals with other medical conditions to consult with their healthcare provider before using any nicotine replacement products like nicotine chewing gum, nicotine patch, nicotine inhaler or nose spray.

Secondhand Smoke Risks:

Secondhand smoke is the smoke exhaled by smokers including smoke from the burning end of a lit cigarette, cigar, or pipe. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the death toll of nonsmokers from heart disease each year from exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke is 34000.

Children and infants exposed to tobacco smoke are more likely to have ear infections and asthma alongside an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

Cardiovascular disease increases the risk for a cardiac arrest or heart attack. Contribute towards the safety of cardiac arrest victims in out-of-hospital emergencies by signing up for a CPR program today. At CPR Louisville in Kentucky, you can either sign up for a CPR course online or call on 502-804-6132 for registration. CPR courses for both healthcare and non-healthcare providers are offered.