Health Spotlight
February is Heart month!
It’s not just about Valentines, sweethearts, flowers and chocolates, it’s about Heart Health.
Did you know that Heart disease and stroke kill more African Americans than cancer, accidents, pneumonia, AIDS, diabetes, liver failure , suicide and homicides combines? About 50% of African Americans will suffer a debilitating illness or death from diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Every African American family is affected by heart disease and stroke. If this picture does not improve, fewer children will know their grandparents.
To make matters worse we as a community and African American women in particular, are less likely to receive the test and appropriate treatment made available. While reasons are not entirely clear, we know that it is not always because of lower income or the lack of good insurance.
There are 4 major risks factors that we know cause heart disease, they are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, smoking and stress.
We all know what will keep us healthy. The difficult part is getting individuals to do what we already know works. We know that smoking will increase our risk of heart disease, but one out of four of us continue to smoke. We know that there is nothing good about being obese, yet on average we eat too much. We know that too much animal fat in our diet will clog up our arteries, but we continue to eat too many hamburgers, steaks, pork and bacon. We know that too much alcohol will ruin our livers and increase our rate accidents, but we continue to drink inappropriately. We know that high blood pressure (the silent killer) and cholesterol increases our risk of heart attacks, strokes and heart failure; but one out of four of those affected do not follow the prescribed treatment by their doctors or just fail to seek medical advice. We know that stress kills and steals our joy. If we are to live longer, healthier lives, we must prevent heart disease rather than just affecting a cure after we get sick.
We must know and understand that the heart is not an organ of love and emotion. The heart is a pump. It is the muscular organ the size of your fist that collects and distributes blood to the billions of cells of your body 100,000 times per day. Every cell must continuously receive fresh supplies of oxygenated blood or it starves to death. Every cell in the body needs continuous nourishment and cleansing to stay healthy. Our heart and brains are our most vital survival organs. They must keep functioning if we are to stay alive. In other words we can’t live without them.
It works like this Blood leaves the heart (THE PUMP), carrying oxygen and nourishment through the large arteries to the small arteries until it gets to every cell by way of arteries. Arteries take the good nourishing blood away from the heart, and veins then take the used impure blood back to the heart, where it is pumped out to the lungs, it becomes enriched with oxygen and releases carbon dioxide that then passes out of our bodies through the mouth and or our nose as we breath. This must happen in order to sustain life. This is called supply and demand. The heart supplies what the body requires.
If the heart stops and no longer pushes the blood through its called A Heart Attack.
The most common type of heart disease is coronary artery disease or hardening of the arteries that feed the heart muscle. It is caused by the gradual buildup of fat and cholesterol inside the blood vessels in the heart that reduces and restricts the flow of blood to the heart itself.
You may be having a heart attack if you experience:
An uncomfortable pressure, squeezing or pain in the center of your chest and sometime in women up your back or left arm lasting more than 2 minutes
Dizziness
Palpitations (strong, fast heart beats)
Sweating, nausea, shortness of breath and weakness.
If you experience any of these symptoms SEEK EMERGENCY MEDICAL ATTENTION. DO NOT DRIVE. CALL 911 or have someone take you to the nearest ER. DO NOT TOUGH IT OUT.
High Blood Pressure (The Silent Killer) is the biggest contributor to heart disease; it is considered the most important health problem to the African American community. We can prevent hypertension and effectively lower it with exercise, diet and medication; however no one is sure what causes it, it is very rare in our African ancestors.
So What Can We Do?
Maintain a good blood pressure. Know your numbers.
Monitor your cholesterol levels. Consult with your physician. Know your numbers.
Don’t SMOKE anything. That includes vaping.
Manage your weight.
Exercise regularly (20 minutes a day) Join a group, it’s more fun.
Manage your stress.
Have a positive attitude.
Have a plan B if your current plan doesn’t work out.
Don’t over commit yourself.
Develop the courage to be imperfect and still feel good about yourself. Only GOD is perfect.
Accept the fact that people disappoint you.
Just learn to say “NO” and mean it.
Learn to forgive, appreciate, and love yourself. After all these are the greatest gifts.
Go to church regularly and spend time with those you love.
Reduce the time that you spent with negative people.
GOD gave us the gift of life. It’s up to us to take care of it.
Happy Valentines to everyone!!
GOD Bless!!
Sources: Association of Black Cardiologists, Inc. AHA, .FDA
