February is American Heart Month, a national observance aimed at raising awareness about cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. Health experts encourage people to focus on heart-healthy habits such as balanced nutrition, regular exercise and avoiding tobacco.
At Hansen Family Hospital in Iowa Falls, Cardiac Rehab RN Jolynn Sprung tells RadioOnTheGo News small lifestyle changes can make a big difference in keeping the heart healthy.
“Some important ways to keep your heart healthy, obviously eat a heart-healthy diet, get plenty of activity, exercise, stay at a healthy weight. If you smoke, quite smoking and stay away from second-hand smoke, control your cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressures. Only drink alcohol in moderation. Manage your stress and make sure you do get enough sleep at night.”
Sprung also encourages people to know the warning signs of a heart attack and to seek immediate medical care if they occur.
“Some heart attack signs can be pressure in your chest, the chest pain the squeezing, pain in one or both arms. Pain in your back, your neck, jaw, nausea, shortness of breath. You might have a cold, clammy sweat. (You may also experience) dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue. It’s also good to point out women and men sometimes defer in their symptoms. Sometimes women will present with different (symptoms). They might just have indigestion or heartburn symptoms, or pain in their back, sometimes they don’t present with the normal symptoms.”
She adds that energy drinks can pose risks to heart health due to high levels of caffeine and other stimulants, especially when consumed frequently or in large amounts.
“Energy drinks significantly impact the heart by increasing the heart rate (and) your blood pressure. It can cause palpitations or arrhythmias, which is irregular beats in the heart. It can cause the heart to spasm in the blood vessels. It can cause chest pain and some individuals can go into sudden cardiac arrest. A lot of it is from the caffeine and the chemicals that are in the energy drinks, that cause a lot of these problems.”
Health officials say recognizing risks and making healthy choices can help reduce the chances of heart disease and improve overall well-being.
Learn more about American Heart Month here
