Billing Help
Directions to PVH
Email the CEO
Patients & Families
Giving to PVH
Online Greeting Cards
Phone Directory
Find a Physician
Services
The People You Know
The Care You Trust
Volunteer
Community Events
Net Nursery
Practical Advice
|
|
|
|
More Women Die of Heart Disease than All Forms of Cancer Combined
 |
 Join staff at Penobscot Valley Hospital and recognize Wear Red Day on Friday, February 3. The American Heart Association’s Go Red for WomenŽ movement is working to increase awareness about heart disease. Heart disease takes the lives of more women than all forms of cancer combined. Unfortunately, heart disease is often silent, hidden and misunderstood. That’s why Go Red for Women is asking people in the Lincoln Lakes region to participate in the 9th Annual National Wear Red Day on Friday, February 3, 2012, to make ending heart disease a reality.
“Heart disease causes the death of one woman every minute,” said Lisa O’Connor, Director of Cardiopulmonary Services at Penobscot Valley Hospital. “That’s why it’s so important to understand your personal risk factors and often-overlooked common symptoms, and to share that information with the women you love.”
Currently some eight million women in the U.S. are living with heart disease, yet only one in six women believes that heart disease is her greatest health threat. In fact, 90 percent of women have one or more risk factors for developing heart disease.
The Wellness Committee at PVH has teamed up with Shirley Pagel from Women Heart to elevate awareness about heart disease. Women Heart is a local support group for women with heart disease. They meet on the second Monday of each month at 2:30 pm in the PVH Rehab & Wellness Center in downtown Lincoln. Women Heart has created a display in the main entrance of the hospital, providing staff, patients and visitors with more information about heart disease and how to take steps toward heart health.
“Heart disease needs to be taken seriously,” states Katie Neal, Physical Therapist at Penobscot Valley Hospital and member of the PVH Wellness Committee. “We all need to know the warning signs for ourselves, family and friends. Awareness and prevention are keys to keeping yourself healthy.”
Some health risk factors that the American Heart Association (AHA) would like people to be conscious of include:
1) Cholesterol – 47% of American adults have elevated cholesterol levels. Have your cholesterol levels checked regularly by a physician.
2) Diabetes – Women with diabetes have 2-4 times higher death rates from heart disease. Talk with your physician on ways to prevent or manage diabetes.
3) Heart attack – 80% of all cardiac events in women could be prevented if women made the right choices involving diet, exercise, and not smoking.
o Signs of heart attack include:
§ Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes, or goes away and comes back.
§ Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
§ Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
§ Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
§ As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
4) High blood pressure – High blood pressure usually has no symptoms and can be a “silent killer.” Talk with your physician about the risks of high blood pressure.
5) Stroke – This is the #3 cause of death in America and a major cause of long-term disability.
o Signs of stroke include (Remember: not all warning signs occur with every stroke):
§ Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
§ Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
§ Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
§ Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
§ Sudden severe headache with no known cause
O’Connor suggests women talk with their physicians to take steps toward heart health. “Heart disease doesn’t just affect men, the elderly or someone else. Talk with your physician about your risk of heart disease. Commit to making a change this Wear Red Day and adopt healthy behaviors including becoming more active, eating healthier, and quitting smoking.”
If you or someone you know is experiencing signs of heart attack or stroke, call 9-1-1 immediately. It is extremely important to take immediate action for treatment.
To learn about the American Heart Association, call 1-800-AHA-USA1 or visit americanheart.org. For information on the Women Heart support group, contact Shirley Pagel at 207-794-3242.
|
|