Health Information for Members

Health Information

These are various articles about Health and Well Being. Please feel free to pass them on to your Council Members.

Mayo Clinic Information on Heart Attacks Mayo Clinic

Overview

A heart attack occurs when the flow of blood to the heart is severely reduced or blocked. The blockage is usually due to a buildup of fat, cholesterol and other substances in the heart (coronary) arteries. The fatty, cholesterol-containing deposits are called plaques. The process of plaque buildup is called atherosclerosis.

Sometimes, a plaque can rupture and form a clot that blocks blood flow. A lack of blood flow can damage or destroy part of the heart muscle.

HeartAttackBlockage

Heart attack

A heart attack occurs when an artery that sends blood and oxygen to the heart is blocked. Fatty, cholesterol-containing deposits build up over time, forming plaques in the heart's arteries. If a plaque ruptures, a blood clot can form. The clot can block arteries, causing a heart attack. During a heart attack, a lack of blood flow causes the tissue in the heart muscle to die.

A heart attack is also called a myocardial infarction.

Prompt treatment is needed for a heart attack to prevent death. Call 911 or emergency medical help if you think you might be having a heart attack.

Symptoms

Symptoms of a heart attack vary. Some people have mild symptoms. Others have severe symptoms. Some people have no symptoms.

Common heart attack symptoms include:

  • Chest pain that may feel like pressure, tightness, pain, squeezing or aching
  • Pain or discomfort that spreads to the shoulder, arm, back, neck, jaw, teeth or sometimes the upper belly
  • Cold sweat
  • Fatigue
  • Heartburn or indigestion
  • Lightheadedness or sudden dizziness
  • Nausea
  • Shortness of breath

Women may have atypical symptoms such as brief or sharp pain felt in the neck, arm or back. Sometimes, the first symptom sign of a heart attack is sudden cardiac arrest.

Some heart attacks strike suddenly. But many people have warning signs and symptoms hours, days or weeks in advance. Chest pain or pressure (angina) that keeps happening and doesn't go away with rest may be an early warning sign. Angina is caused by a temporary decrease in blood flow to the heart.

Whether the symptoms seem obvious or are more subtle, take them seriously and get immediate medical care.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Typical heart attack symptoms

  • Chest discomfort or pain.This discomfort or pain can feel like a tight ache, pressure, fullness or squeezing in the chest lasting more than a few minutes. This discomfort may come and go.
  • Upper body pain.Pain or discomfort may spread beyond the chest to the shoulders, arms, back, neck, teeth or jaw. Some people have upper body pain with no chest discomfort.
  • Stomach pain.Pain may extend downward into the belly area and may feel like heartburn.
  • Shortness of breath.You may gasp for breath or try to take in deep breaths. This often occurs before any chest discomfort. Some people don't have chest discomfort.
  • You may feel a sense of doom or feel as if you're having a panic attack for no apparent reason.
  • In addition to feeling chest pressure, you may feel dizzy or feel like you might pass out.
  • You may suddenly break into a sweat with cold, clammy skin.
  • Nausea and vomiting.You may feel sick to your stomach or vomit.
  • Heart palpitations.You may feel as if your heart is skipping beats, or you may just be very aware that your heart is beating.

CDC

Updated Oct. 4, 2023

What You Need to Know

The senior community, which constitutes approximately 80% of mesothelioma cancer sufferers, confronts the challenges posed by this aggressive cancer that affects the linings of vital organs, including the lungs, abdomen, and heart. The diagnosis of mesothelioma, particularly its subtypes like epithelioid mesothelioma, often demands specialized treatments not universally available, emphasizing the critical need for accessible support, information, and assistance throughout all stages of mesothelioma .

Yiqing Song, Professor of Epidemiology, Department of Epidemiology, Fairbanks School of Public Health

At this extreme moment, we began working from home, away from campus, and keeping social distance for as many people as possible. As we stay home and are stuck with the foods that have been in our fridge or pantry for a while, we are temporarily living a sedentary lifestyle with increased odds of physical inactivity, excessive eating and sitting,

stress, anxiety, and depression. In particular, many of us will gain some weight during the pandemic and may keep the extra weight permanently, which may carry considerable health risks for type 2 diabetes, hypertension, heart attack, stroke, and other health problems.

Here, I’d like to share some basic tips and resources for how to maintain your healthy lifestyle, body weight, and overall well-being while staying home and engaging in social distancing.

1.  Measure and Watch Your Weight

Keeping track of your body weight on a daily or weekly basis will help you see what you’re losing and/or what you’re gaining.

2.  Limit Unhealthy Foods and Eat Healthy Meals

Do not forget to eat breakfast and choose a nutritious meal with more protein and fiber and less fat, sugar, and calories. For more information on weight-control foods and dietary recommendations, please check the following website: www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-causes/diet-and-weight/.

NIH

 

 

Everyday Physical Activity Tips

Small steps that get your family to move more can help all of you maintain a healthy weight. Choose a different tip each week for you and your family to try. See if you or they can add to the list. Here are a few:

Walk Whenever Possible

  • Walk instead of drive, whenever you can
  • Walk your children to school
  • Take the stairs instead of the escalator or elevator
  • Take a family walk after dinner
  • Replace a Sunday drive with a Sunday walk
  • Go for a half-hour walk instead of watching TV
  • Get off the bus a stop early, and walk
  • Park farther from the store and walk
  • Make a Saturday morning walk a family habit
  • Walk briskly in the mall
  • Take the dog on longer walks
  • Go up hills instead of around them