Dairymom Supports Wear Red Day

It's a fact that heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States. Although we can't control  age,  genetics or  gender, we can know the facts about lifestyle changes that can lower the risk for heart disease and make sure we are aware of the signs of a heart attack. National Wear Red Day  (the first Friday in February) is a perfect opportunity to increase our knowledge and  raise awareness about heart disease and share information with our family and friends.

 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states these  risk factors  may increase your chances of getting heart disease :

•  Excessive alcohol use
• High blood cholesterol
• Diabetes
• Diet high in saturated fats and cholesterol
• Family history of heart disease
• High blood pressure
• Obesity
• Physical inactivity
• Tobacco use

To reduce your chances of getting heart disease:

• Know your blood pressure
• Talk to your doctor about whether you should  be tested for diabetes
• Quit smoking
• Discuss checking your cholesterol and triglyceride levels with your doctor
• Make healthy food choices
• Limit alcohol intake to one drink a day
• Lower your stress level and find healthy ways to cope with stress
• Get 30 minutes of aerobic activity at least 3 times per week

According to the CDC, sometimes heart disease may be silent and not diagnosed until a woman experiences signs or symptoms of a heart attack, heart failure, an arrhythmia or stroke.
Common symptoms that may occur include:

• Unusually heavy pressure on the chest, like there's a ton of weight on you
• Sharp upper body pain in the neck, back throat, abdomen  or jaw
• Severe shortness of breath
• Cold sweats (not hot flashes from menopause)
• Unusual or unexplained fatigue
• Unfamiliar dizziness or lightheadedness
• Unexplained nausea or vomiting
• Fluttering feelings in the chest (arrhythmia)
• Signs of stroke that may include:  sudden weakness, paralysis or numbness of the face/arms/legs; trouble speaking or understanding speech; difficulty seeing in one or both eyes, dizziness, sudden and sever headache or loss of consciousness.

If you are experiencing these symptoms or someone you know is having a heart attack, call 9-1-1 immediately. Treatment works best if given within 1 hour of when symptoms begin.

You can find more information about heart health at Go Red for Women, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and National Dairy Council.

National Wear Red Day will find me wearing red under my pink coveralls but more importantly, I plan to renew my commitment to make the lifestyle changes  that can make a difference to my heart health.

                                                       Happy National Wear Red Day!

When Do You ACT FAST?

You never know when you may find yourself assisting a friend or loved one who may be experiencing symptoms of a stroke. We found ourselves in this very situation last weekend when our relative called and asked us to come to his aid. Thankfully, he did not have a stroke but it did make me realize how just knowing a few ways to detect stroke can make a difference in the outcome for the person.

A stroke occurs when the blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted or severly reduced, depriving brain tissue of oxygen and food. It is a medical emergency and prompt treatment is crucial. Early action can minimize brain damage and complication. Know these  signs and ACT FAST:

• Face       Facial droop or uneven smile
• Arm        Arm numbness or arm weakness
• Speech    Slurred speech, difficulty speaking or understanding
• Time        Call 911  and get to the hospital immediately

Arkansas ranks third in the incidence of stroke. To improve the health care outcome for stroke patients across our rural state, the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences Center for Distance Health as designed the Arkansas Saves program to ensure treatment of stroke patients. Arkansas Saves (http://www.uams.edu/saves ) is a new telemedicine program that liks emergency room doctors at participating medical center to specially trained neurologists via live, two-way video that is available 24 hours per day. ACT FAST and get the life-saving treatment your friend or loved one may need!