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.

Facts about Atrial Fibrillation you should be aware of and Louisville BLS Certification

AFib or AF that stands for Atrial Fibrillation is the most common type of irregular heartbeat that affects more than 5 million adults in the United States. It is a condition that causes the upper chambers of the heart to beat extremely fast and irregularly. Before going ahead, here’s some information on the life-saving CPR procedure.

CPR procedure comprises chest compressions and rescue breaths. Properly administering the techniques can help you revive the life of a victim involved in a cardiac arrest or heart attack. Most cardiac arrests occur due to a dangerous type of arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat by the name of ventricular fibrillation that affects the ticker’s ventricles. V-fib may happen several times a day in some people which requires immediate medical attention because sustained V-fib can lead to cardiac arrest and death. The symptoms of V-fib include fainting, acute shortness of breath, near fainting or transient dizziness and cardiac arrest.

Treating V-fib:

There are 2 stages when it comes to treating V-fib where the first tries to stop your V-fib immediately to restore a blood pressure and pulse whereas the second stage focuses on reducing your chances of developing V-fib in the future. Treatments include CPR, defibrillation, medication, catheter ablation and left cardiac sympathetic denervation. We are going to focus on the first two:

CPR- The first response to V-fib may be cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) which keeps the blood moving until advanced care. Select a certified training center for acquiring training such as the AHA certified CPRLouisville in Kentucky. The programs offered include Basic Life Support or BLS certification Louisville, Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Advanced Cardiac Life Support and HeartSaver CPR (for people who do not have a medical background).

Defibrillation- You will need this during or immediately after the V-fib which involves application of electric shock that can correct the signals that are telling your heart muscles to quiver instead of pump.

Things to know about AFib:

1.      Age is the greatest risk factor where one in 10 people over the age of 80 having the heart condition with the other common risk factors being cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity and family history.

2.      The condition may or may not cause symptoms with the common symptoms being irregular and rapid heartbeat, dizziness, heart palpitations, weakness, fainting, fatigue, shortness of breath.

3.      The condition is diagnosed with an electrocardiogram that can be performed during an office visit.

4.      AFib can be controlled with medications in most cases. However, it can be treated with catheter or surgical ablation if medications do not work or cause side effects.

5.      The risk of stroke increases by fivefold in an individual with AFib. Patients should consult with their doctors if their risk of stroke is high enough to warrant being placed on blood thinners.

Meet your doctor at the earliest possible time if you have any symptoms of AFib who’ll talk to you about the best approach for management of the condition.

At CPR Louisville, you can either register for a class online or call on 502-804-6132 for the same. 

Heart Health Mistakes by Women and Tips to Avoid Them

There’s a common misconception among people that heart or cardiovascular disease is “a guy thing” despite the fact that it is the number one cause of death for women in USA. Women are eight times more likely to die of heart disease which highlights the significance for them to understand their risk factors to keep cardiac emergencies at bay.

Every individual should be CPR trained. The procedure is a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths. Proper administration of the techniques can revive the life of a victim involved in a cardiac arrest or heart attack. Choose a certified training center for acquiring training such as the AHA certified CPR Louisville in Kentucky. Both theoretical and practical training are imparted to the students. There are courses for both healthcare and non-healthcare providers.

The CPR courses for healthcare providers include Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Pediatric Advanced Life Support. Learn more about a BLS certificationLouisville program.

Basic Life Support Classes- This AHA CPR class is required for healthcare providers working in hospitals, private practices, dental facilities, and enrolled in healthcare and medically related college programs. CPR Louisville allows students plenty of hands on practice and time to master the skills of BLS for Healthcare Providers.

Heart-health mistakes made by women:

1.      It’s great to be in tune with your body. Unfortunately, it is a tendency on the part of most women that they believe they’ll know when they need to get their blood pressure checked. There are many women who quite often cite having high blood pressure or high cholesterol as reasons behind feeling dizzy. But you won’t exactly know when you have high blood pressure or high cholesterol—these are silent conditions. It is advisable to get your blood pressure, blood cholesterol and blood sugar measured regularly by your doctor to flag your risk of future heart trouble.

2.      Having a treadmill or bike is great but it’s important to use it often, and that’s where many women go wrong. They tend to embark on a new, not-so-fun exercise program and so, after an initial push they slack off. Choose an activity that’s fun for you in order for you to do it often, like walking around the mall or running with a friend.

3.      Many women use cigarettes for weight control which is wrong because smoking is the leading cause of cardiovascular disease. The best way to keep your weight in check is through diet and exercise. Do not even count on e-cigarettes as they may not be as healthy as initially hoped. Keeping your weight in a normal range can be highly beneficial for your ticker.

4.      Heart attack or myocardial infarction can present differently in women than it does in men. Women tend to ignore other danger signs in expectation of a chest-crushing episode. Consult with your doctor if you notice nausea, abdominal pain, difficulty breathing or other bothersome symptoms that are unusual for you.

5.      Women have this perception that certain health problems ended with their child’s birth. Remember, your heart, arteries and other organs are still inside you although your baby may not be. Your risk for heart problems is much greater later in life if you have diabetes that developed during pregnancy, gestational diabetes or hypertensive disease of pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension or preeclampsia. Inform your new doctor of your full health history so that he or she gets the necessary information to consider your individual needs.

At CPR Louisville, you can either register for a CPR class online, or call on 502-804-6132 for the same.

Physical Activity for Heart Health and Louisville Basic Life Support Classes

Keeping physically active works wonders for the overall health in many ways especially the heart. Exercise helps to lower blood pressure and improves blood cholesterol which directly impacts the condition of your arteries. Apart from that, exercise also reduces the risk of diabetes, one of the leading risk factors of cardiovascular disease. Physical activity along with a heart-healthy diet makes it very easy to maintain a healthy body weight. For many conditions, exercise is as powerful as some medications and what’s more, it is very easy to be active.

Like we have already mentioned, exercise keeps heart disease at bay which lowers the chances of occurrence of life-threatening cardiac emergencies like a cardiac arrest or heart attack. These are life-threatening emergencies and a victim would require immediate treatment for survival. The most appropriate form of treatment is proper application of the CPR procedure that combines chest compressions and rescue breaths. Always choose a certified training site for obtaining training such as the AHA certified CPR Louisville in Kentucky. Courses for both healthcare as well as non-healthcare providers are offered.

Read to know more about a BLS certification Louisville program:

Basic Life Support Classes- The first time BLS class, also known as the Basic Life Support for Healthcare Providers class is geared toward training individuals currently working in healthcare or planning a career in healthcare. This class has been designed for nurses, CRNAs, paramedics, EMTs, medical technicians/assistants, dental hygienists/assistants, physical therapists, occupational therapists, nursing students, medical students, respiratory therapists and all healthcare and medically related fields.

Learn:

1.      Adult, child and infant CPR.

2.      Using an Automated External Defibrillator or AED device.

3.      Using and performing rescue breaths using a bag-valve mask (this device is found in hospitals, offices, and many other healthcare facilities).

Exercise or Physical Activity for heart health:

1.      The recommendation to exercise 150 minutes per week is the minimum needed and considered safe and good for ticker-health for most people. Ideally, you should exercise most days of the week that for instance could be 30 minutes a day, five days a week. But, short bursts of activity, say 10-15 minutes at a stretch, with the objective of accumulating 150 minutes a week can also benefit your ticker.

2.      Consult with your doctor before starting especially if you have a history of a chronic disease such as heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease or cancer, among other conditions to be sure that you are cleared for exercise. It is advisable to start a moderate intensity exercise program with medical clearance which most healthy people do.

3.      As you work out, pay attention to your body. Regardless of the exercise type, you want to feel your heart pumping—but there should be no chest pain or pressure, and no extreme shortness of breath when you finish. Stop immediately if you’re concerned and discuss your experience with your doctor. It can be helpful to track your progress over the long-term.

4.      Exercise guidelines recommend muscle-strengthening activities like lifting weights and resistance training in addition to 150 minutes of heart-pumping aerobic work like brisk walking, jogging and cycling that primarily improves the ticker and circulation, whereas the former improves muscle strength, maintains higher levels of muscle tissue and can help strengthen the bones. Both exercise types help the body better process blood sugar and can improve cholesterol levels.

The bottom line is exercise in ways you love, it’s not necessary to join a gym to move more. You can find both pleasure and success simply by walking. Find out what you enjoy that involves moving: dancing, playing a team sport, walking and talking with a friend, etc.

At CPR Louisville, you can either sign up for a course online or call on 502-804-6132 for the same.

Valuable Information on Coronary Artery Disease and Louisville CPR Classes for Emergencies

Like all other tissues in the body, the heart muscle needs oxygenated blood to function, and oxygen-depleted blood must be carried away. The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart muscle that run along outside of the ticker and have small branches that supply blood to the ticker muscle. Any coronary artery disorder or disease can reduce the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the ticker, which may lead to a heart attack (myocardial infraction-MI) or possible death. Inflammation and a buildup of plaque in the inner lining of the artery causes it to narrow or become blocked, this is Atherosclerosis and is the most common cause of cardiovascular disease. Our discussion today will revolve around the risk factors, symptoms, treatments for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD).

Cardiovascular disease is the leading reason behind the occurrence of MI or a sudden cardiac arrest. Immediate treatment is what can revive the life of such a victim. The most appropriate form of treatment is proper application of the CPR procedure. The procedure is a combination of chest compressions and rescue breaths. Regardless of your professional background, make sure to train in the procedure for facing emergencies efficiently. If you belong to the Louisville region in Kentucky and looking to sign up for a CPR class Louisville, don’t look beyond the AHA certified CPR Louisville. There are courses for both healthcare and non-healthcare providers.

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) and its Risk Factors:

CAD is characterized by inflammation and the buildup of fatty deposits along the innermost layer of the coronary arteries that may develop in childhood and continue to thicken and enlarge throughout the life span. This thickening, called atherosclerosis, narrows the arteries thus decreasing or completely blocking the flow of blood to the ticker. According to the American Heart Association, 16 million Americans suffer from CAD--the number one killer of both men and women in the U.S.

The risk factors include smoking, high LDL cholesterol, high triglycerides levels, and low HDL cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, physical inactivity, high-saturated fat diet, family history. Prevent illness and death from CAD by controlling these risk factors.

CAD Symptoms:

The symptoms depend on the severity of the disease, some people have no symptoms, some have episodes of mild chest pain or angina and some have more severe chest pain. An individual will experience chest pain called angina if too little oxygenated blood reaches the heart. The blood supply completely cut off results in a myocardial infarction, and the heart muscle begins to die. Symptoms include

1.      Shortness of breath

2.      Heaviness, tightness, pressure, or pain in the chest behind the breastbone

3.      Fatigue and weakness

4.      Pain spreading to the arms, shoulders, jaw, neck or back.

Diagnosis:

Tests for CAD includes Electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), Stress test (also called treadmill or exercise ECG), cardiac catheterization and nuclear scanning.

Treatment:

Risk Factors Modification- Smoking, high cholesterol levels, high blood glucose levels, lack of exercise, poor dietary habits, being overweight, and high blood pressure are the risk factors that you can change.

Medicines- Medicines that may be used to treat CAD includes Antiplatelets, Antihyperlipidemic and Antihypertensives.

Coronary Angioplasty and Coronary Artery Bypass (most commonly referred to as simply "bypass surgery" or CABG, this surgery is often done in people who have chest pain (angina) and coronary artery disease.)

Hope, you find this information to be useful.

At CPR Louisville, you can either register for a class online or call on 502-804-6132 for the same.