Different Causes of Heart Palpitations and CPR Training in Louisville

A person may feel his/her heart pounding, fluttering, or may seem like skipping beats- these feelings are called palpitations. They may feel scary, but most aren’t serious and rarely need treatment. Awareness in what makes your ticker race can help you not panic when it happens and know when to call your doctor.

Different causes of heart palpitations are:

Anxiety and Stress- Your heartbeat can increase by intense emotions as they trigger the release of hormones. Your body becomes ready to face threat, although you aren’t in danger. Panic attacks can last a few minutes which are intense bouts of fear with a racing ticker, sweating, chills, difficult breathing and chest pain being some of the symptoms. Your panic attack can feel like a heart attack (myocardial infarction-MI), get immediate medical help if you aren’t sure which one you are having.

Caffeine- You may have noticed or felt that your ticker beats faster after your morning latte, keep in mind that caffeine is a stimulant that raises your heart rate, regardless of where you get it from- coffee, soda, an energy drink, or another source. According to a study, caffeine from coffee, tea, and chocolate isn’t likely to cause palpitations in people with healthy tickers. But experts aren’t sure whether it might trigger them in people with heart rhythm problems.

Exercise- There are no two ways about working out being good for everyone. A mere brisk run or intense indoor cycling class naturally makes the ticker beat faster that helps it to pump more blood to power your muscles throughout the workout. Sudden fluttering or pounding of your ticker could be because you haven’t worked out in a while and you’re out of condition. Palpitations during exercise can also be caused by an irregular heartbeat, or arrhythmia.

Nicotine- Nicotine is the addictive chemical in cigarettes and other tobacco products that raises the blood pressure and speeds up the heart rate. Quitting smoking is one of the best things that can be done for the heart, it might not slow your heartbeat right away though. It can be difficult to quit smoking- patches and other nicotine replacement products can help, but they can make your ticker race. Palpitations can also be a symptom of nicotine withdrawal which tend to stop within 3-4 weeks after you quit.

Fever- Our body, during fever due to an illness- uses energy at a faster pace than usual which can set off palpitations. Your temperature needs to be above 100.4 F to affect your heart rate.

Medicines- Palpitations sometimes occur as a side-effect of some prescribed and over-the-counter medicines including antibiotics, antifungal medicines, asthma inhalers, cough and cold medicines, diet pills, high blood pressure medicines, thyroid pills, etc. If you take one or more of these types of meds, ask your healthcare provider if it could affect your heartbeat. Never skip any doses before checking with your doctor.

Low Blood Sugar- Skipping a meal can also lead to palpitations. Our body releases stress hormones like adrenaline to prepare for an emergency food shortage when our blood sugar level drop which speeds up the heart rate.

Hyperthyroidism- Thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck that makes hormones that help manage your metabolism and other things. Hyperthyroidism or an overactive thyroid gland can make too much thyroid hormone that can speed up the ticker so much that you feel it beating in your chest.

Heart Rhythm Problems- Sometimes an irregular heart rhythm, called an arrhythmia, such as atrial fibrillation, supraventricular tachycardia, ventricular tachycardia- can cause palpitations.

Premature Ventricular Contractions (PVCs)- PVCs are extra heartbeats that happen when the ticker’s ventricles squeeze too soon. Occasional PVCs are nothing to be worried about if your ticker is healthy. You might require treatment if you have cardiovascular disease and you get these extra beats (they throw off the ticker’s normal rhythm and makes it flutter or pound in the chest) often.

Some of the other causes include alcohol, cocaine and other street drugs and hormonal changes.

See your doctor if palpitations come more often or you also have symptoms like shortness of breath, chest pain or pressure, dizziness or fainting. You aren’t required to worry about palpitations that happen once in a while and last only a few seconds- if you’re perfectly healthy.

Undergo CPR training at the AHA certified CPR Louisville in Kentucky and equip yourself in the life-saving technique- proper application of which can revive the life of a cardiac arrest victim. Call CPR Louisville on 502-804-6132 for more information.

Vital Heart Symptoms that your should Never Ignore

Remember, not all heart problems come with clear warning signs. You’d be surprised that some heart symptoms don’t even happen in your chest, and it’s difficult to tell what’s going on. Get it checked out if you aren’t sure which is especially true if you are 60 or older, are overweight, or have diabetes, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure. The higher the number of risk factors you have, the more you should be concerned about anything that might be ticker-related.

Do not ignore these problems:

Chest Discomfort- It is the most common sign that your ticker is in danger. You may feel pain, tightness, or pressure in your chest if you have a blocked artery or are having a heart attack. The feeling varies in everyone with some saying it's like an elephant is sitting on them whereas some others say it's like a pinching or burning. The feeling generally lasts longer than a few minutes which may happen when you’re at rest or doing something physical. Immediately call 911 if the symptoms are more severe and do not go away after a few minutes. It’s also possible to have heart problems- even a heart attack- without chest pain, that’s especially common among women.

Pain Spreading to the Arm- Pain that radiates down the left side of the body is another classic heart attack symptom which almost always starts from the chest and moves outward.

Throat or Jaw Pain- Throat or jaw pain isn’t probably heart-related by itself which is more likely caused by a muscular issue, a cold, or a sinus problem. Call 911 and seek medical attention if you have pain or pressure in the center of your chest that spreads up into your throat or jaw as it could be a sign of a heart attack.

Dizziness or Lightheadedness- Although a lot of things can make you lose your balance or feel faint for a moment, but if you suddenly feel unsteady and you also have chest discomfort or shortness of breath- immediately seek medical attention as it could mean there has been a drop in your blood pressure because your ticker isn't able to pump the way it should.

You get Fatigued Easily- Make an appointment with your doctor right away if you suddenly feel fatigued after doing something you had no problem doing in the past -- like climbing the stairs as extreme exhaustion or unexplained weakness, sometimes for days at a time, can be a symptom of cardiovascular disease, especially for women.

Sweating- Call 911 and get to a hospital right away if you break out in a cold sweat for no obvious reason as that could signal a heart attack. If this happens along with any of these other symptoms, immediate medical attention should be sought.

An Ongoing Cough- This isn’t a sign of heart trouble in most cases but pay attention to the possibility if you have cardiovascular disease or you know you are at risk. A long-lasting cough that produces a white or pink mucus could be a sign of heart failure that happens when the ticker can't keep up with the body's demands, causing blood to leak back into the lungs.

Swollen Legs, Feet and Ankles- This could be a sign that your ticker doesn’t pump blood as efficiently as it should. Blood backs up in the veins and causes bloating when the ticker can’t pump fast enough. HF can also make it harder for the kidneys to remove extra water and sodium from the body, which can lead to bloating.

Irregular Heartbeat- When you are nervous or excited, it’s normal for your ticker to race or to add or skip a beat once in a while. Tell your doctor if you feel like your ticker is beating out of time for more than just a few seconds, or if it happens often as occasionally, it could signal a condition called atrial fibrillation that needs treatment. Ask your doctor to check it out.

Stay prepared to efficiently handle out-of-hospital cardiac arrest cases by getting CPR trained at the AHA certified CPR Louisville in Kentucky. For more information, call us on 502-804-6132.

Heart Disease Signs and Symptoms in Men

Heart disease increases the risk of life-threatening cardiac emergencies like a cardiac arrest or heart attack. The major risk factors include high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Adopting healthy lifestyle measures, such as regular exercise and eating a healthy diet can keep these risk factors in check. Heart disease also is one of the most common health problems faced by people, particularly men. They can reduce their risk of developing serious complications, such as a heart attack by knowing some signs and symptoms.

Heart disease refers to a range of health issues including coronary artery disease, arrhythmias, heart failure, angina and other ticker-related irregularities, infections, and birth abnormalities. The American Heart Association estimates more than 1 in 3 men in the United States get affected by heart disease. A person may have evident, recognizable signs in some cases, it is as possible to develop the disease without experiencing any noticeable symptoms.

Heart Disease Signs in Men:

A man may notice a heart attack or another severe heart-related event as the earliest sign of cardiovascular disease. However, there are often earlier signs and symptoms that one can look for that may help prevent a heart attack, stroke, or other complications of cardiovascular disease.

Arrhythmia Symptoms- Arrhythmias occur when the ticker beats irregularly, or too quickly or slowly. Look for symptoms like fainting or dizziness, heart racing sensation, or ticker beating too slowly or irregularly; chest discomfort or pressure, difficulty catching the breath particularly after moderate exercise such as climbing up stairs; unexplained pain in the jaw, neck or torso.

Symptoms associated with Blood Vessel Problems- Over a period of time, blood vessels can narrow or constrict which can make it difficult for blood to pass through the veins and arteries thus putting greater strain on the ticker when it pumps. Shortness of breath, an irregular heartbeat, chest pain or angina, extreme fatigue and a feeling of pain, numbness, swelling, tingling, coldness, or weakness in the outer extremities are some of the symptoms of narrowing blood vessels.

Heart Attack (Myocardial Infarction) Symptoms- Symptoms include chest pain, a sensation of chest pressure or fullness, unexplained excessive sweating, shortness of breath, nausea, lightheadedness and pain in the arm, neck, jaw, or back. When having an MI, men generally experience a combination of these symptoms.

Difference in Symptoms between Men and Women:

For cardiovascular disease and a myocardial infarction, men and women share many of the same symptoms. But men are more likely to experience the well-known MI symptoms such as crushing chest pain, cold sweat, shortness of breath, pain in the arm, jaw, or back, squeezing or discomfort in the chest and nausea. Talking about women, they are less likely to experience a crushing chest pain and have a higher chance of having symptoms like feeling faint or lightheaded, squeezing on the upper back, pressure or squeezing in the center of the chest and pain in the jaw, neck, or chest. This causes women to ignore their cardiac symptoms as they are less obvious that they relate particularly to the ticker.

Prevention Tips:

1.      Quit smoking

2.      Eat a diet low in processed sugars

3.      Perform at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous aerobic exercise a week.

4.      Maintain a healthy weight

5.      Increase the amount of fruits, fiber and vegetables intake

6.      Reduce salt consumption

You cannot predict the occurrence of a sudden cardiac arrest. All you can do is to stay prepared to face such emergencies efficiently. Contribute towards the safety of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest victims by getting CPR trained today. At CPR Louisville, you can either register for a course online or call on 502-804-6132 to sign up

Natural Treatments for Atrial Fibrillation and to Reduce the Symptoms

The heart’s upper chambers can quiver out of rhythm in atrial fibrillation (A-fib) which normally beat in a regular, coordinated rhythm with the heart’s lower chambers that results in an irregular heart rhythm causing symptoms, such as shortness of breath, heart palpitations, weakness, and sometimes a heart murmur. The treatments for A-fib vary based on the symptoms that people experience. When it comes A-fib treatments, always follow your doctor’s advice.

There are several natural treatments and activities that may help to reduce the symptoms and effects of A-fib including yoga, getting adequate sleep, acupuncture and reducing stress. Fatigue, air pollution, caffeine and some over-the-counter, prescription, and recreational drugs are some of the triggers for Atrial Fibrillation.

Yoga- According to a study, yoga practice on a regular basis for 1 hour, 3 days a week has been shown to reduce the number of A-fib episodes. According to researchers, yoga reduces stress and inflammation that damages the ticker as well as reduce a person’s resting heart rate.

Acupuncture- It is the ancient Chinese practice of inserting needles in specific points on the body to manipulate the flow of energy, it may help individuals with A-fib control their heart rates. Although the acupuncture point is associated with controlling heart rhythm abnormalities, but more research is required.

Lifestyle Tips- A condition called sleep apnea is very common in people with A-fib with the most common form being obstructive sleep apnea that causes an individual to stop breathing for brief periods while asleep. It tends to weaken the ticker as the heart has to work harder to compensate for the lost oxygen when a person stops breathing. Snoring, waking up at night with snoring or irregular breathing and having excessive daytime sleepiness are symptoms that suggest that a person could be experiencing sleep apnea. Such an individual should immediately see a doctor or a sleep medicine specialist.

Exercise regularly, eat a healthy diet comprising plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains, avoid alcohol and caffeine intakes in excess, manage and keep your blood pressure in check and manage long-term conditions (high blood pressure, sleep apnea, diabetes, thyroid disease and chronic lung disease) that could contribute to or worsen A-fib.

Avoid these Substances:

1.      Caffeine- Consuming excess amounts of caffeine can potentially trigger episodes of A-fib. About 400 milligrams of caffeine on a daily basis is a safe upper limit for adults which is roughly equivalent to four brewed cups of coffee.

2.      Alcohol- No more than 1 to 2 alcoholic drinks for a man each day and no more than 1 drink per day for women is recommended. No more than 1 alcohol drink per day is recommended for people over 65 years of age.

3.      Do not eat more than four servings of "dark" fish per week which can actually increase the risk for A-fib.

4.      Quit smoking.

Talk to your doctor if you notice that eating certain food or drink is increasing the incidence of irregular heart rhythms.

According to the American Heart Association, individuals with A-fib are five times more likely to have a stroke than someone who does not have a history of heart disease. So, work towards preventing cardiac complications to live a healthy life with A-fib.

Join a CPR course at AHA certified CPR Louisville and contribute towards the safety of cardiac arrest victims. Call CPR Louisville on 502-804-6132 to learn more.

Ensure Good Health of your Ticker with a Plant-based Diet

A plant-based diet can prove to be extremely beneficial for your ticker. You may significantly reduce your odds of getting heart disease/cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes if you’re eating mostly or only fruits, vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains, and meat substitutes like soy in comparison to a diet that includes a lot more meat.

The three most common types of plant-based diets include Vegan (no animal products such as meat, eggs, or dairy products), Lacto-vegetarian (dairy products are fine, but no meat or eggs), Lacto-ovo-vegetarian (dairy products and eggs are fine, but no meat). You might hear people calling themselves "flexitarians" or "semi-vegetarians," meaning that they occasionally eat meat, poultry, pork, or fish, you might also hear terms like "pescatarian," which means they eat a plant-based diet plus fish.

Tips to Make a Switch:

Switching to a completely new form of diet can be difficult. You can begin by eating more fruits. Cut back on animal products, or completely cut them out depending upon how far you wish to take it. Consult with a dietitian to make sure you are getting the nutrients that you need. Do check on whether you are getting enough iron, calcium, and zinc. Read the label to see how much calcium and Vitamin D you are getting if you decide to switch dairy products with rice milk, nut milk, soy milk, or other plant-based alternatives. Eat beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, quinoa, or tofu to get enough protein without meat. It’s advisable to adhere to your doctor's guidelines about fat, calories, sugar, and salt as it’s possible to get too much of those whether you eat animal products or not.

If you have made up your mind to eat more plant-based foods, rushing to the store and loading all that produce into your cart isn’t the answer as they’ll probably be spoiling in your fridge a week later. When it comes to preparation, get creative- steam, broil, roast, blend, saute. You can either mix up a smoothie, simmer some soup or toss a salad- everything counts. Improve your ticker health by sneaking in extra veggies into salads, soups and casseroles; adding berries and other fruit to whole-grain breakfast cereals, salads and snacks, etc.

According to researchers, eating more fruits, vegetables and whole grains wins.

High Blood Pressure- According to a study, individuals who ate more fruits had a lower risk of developing hypertension. Eating blueberries, apples, pears, raisins and grapes particularly had a beneficial impact on blood pressure.

High Cholesterol- Researchers after reviewing 11 different studies came to the conclusion that plant-based diets helped people significantly improve both their cholesterol level and weight.

Cardiovascular Disease- Researchers after compiling the findings of 95 different studies concluded that eating more fruits and vegetables daily reduces the risk of heart disease.

Chronic Heart Disease- A large study conducted by researchers found that individuals who ate more vegetables had a smaller risk of chronic heart disease; in fact, the more veggies they ate, the more their risk went down.

According to the American Heart Association, cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of Americans. Use the natural preventive power of plant-based foods to protect your ticker from hurt. Heart disease also increases the risk of heart attack or cardiac arrest. Get CPR trained to efficiently handle cardiac emergencies.

CPR Louisville conducts CPR classes for healthcare as well as non-healthcare providers. For more information, call on 502-804-6132.

Facts about Coronary Artery Disease and Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

A heart attack is a serious cardiac event during which, blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked, which is most commonly due to coronary artery disease. It is coronary artery disease (CAD), also called atherosclerosis that causes most heart attacks (myocardial infarction- MI). Atherosclerosis is when gradual build-up of fatty streaks (plaque) form in the coronary arteries that deliver oxygenated blood to the heart muscle which narrows the arteries that stiffens over time. It becomes more difficult for oxygenated blood to reach the heart muscle with narrowing of the arteries, sometimes causing pain and discomfort known as angina. There may be formation of a blood clot if a piece of plaque cracks, which can block a coronary artery thus cutting off the blood supply to a part of the heart muscle leading to a heart attack.

CAD Cause:

Our coronary arteries usually have smooth healthy walls when we are young. As we grow old, the inner lining of our coronary arteries comes under attack from risk factors like toxins from cigarette smoke, mechanical injury from high blood pressure, high cholesterol or blood sugar from a diet high in saturated fats and sugars, and lack of exercise which start a chain of events that lead to the build-up of fatty streaks in our coronary arteries.

Risk Factors of CAD:

There are modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors that are known to increase our risk of CAD with some non-modifiable risk factors being age, ethnicity, gender, personal or family history of heart attack or stroke. Modifiable risk factors include smoking, high blood cholesterol, high blood pressure, obesity, physical inactivity, poor nutrition and poor mental health and wellbeing.

Recurrence of Heart Attack:

You are at risk of having another one if you’ve already experienced a heart attack. Many individuals do not recognize their next heart attack as it may seem a bit different to the first one. If you think you may be having a myocardial infarction and you’ve already had one:

1.      Just stop and take rest.

2.      Take angina medication. Even after that if the symptoms haven’t been relieved within 10 minutes or if the symptoms are severe and worsening, dial 911 and ask for an ambulance. Take an aspirin if instructed and is available.

Preventing Another Heart Attack:

Making a few healthy choices can lower your risk of having another event. Some risk factors of CAD are within your power to change like smoking, high cholesterol, diabetes, high blood pressure, etc. Making changes to your risk factors can slow or stop the damage to your arteries and lower your risk of having another life-threatening event. Quit smoking, take your medications as prescribed, make heart healthy eating choices, exercise regularly and maintain a healthy weight.

Heart Attacks in Women:

Although heart attacks are often perceived to be a man's problem, but women are as susceptible. The causes of MI in women is the same as it is in men. Myocardial infarction symptoms in women may not be the crushing chest pain as with men as they are more likely than men to experience a heart attack without chest pain or discomfort. Being a woman, if you experience any of these symptoms, you may be having a heart attack:

1.      Heaviness, tightness, pressure, discomfort/pain in chest, shoulder, jaw, arm, neck, upper back, abdominal.

2.      You may also experience sweating, nausea, vomiting, or indigestion, shortness of breath, dizziness, pain that comes and goes and unusual fatigue.

It’s important to remember that everyone experiences different MI symptoms (not only male or female), symptoms of a subsequent MI may be different from the first. The treatment for MI in women is the same as it is for men.

To sign up for a CPR course at CPR Louisville, either register online or call on 502-804-6132. Contribute towards the safety of cardiac arrest victims by learning the life-saving CPR procedure.

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.