Guest Column | The shape of the heart defines February, but let’s look beyond the emoji-King City Lastler

Of course, the obvious symbol for February is the heart. By the way, this ideograph is anatomically inaccurate and appears in greeting cards, love letters, and text filled with popular emojis.

Yes, February is all about love, especially romantic love, but it’s also Heart Health Month, a time when we can all focus on cardiovascular health.

Sadly, heart disease is the leading cause of death for men, women, and people of most racial and ethnic groups in our country. Every 36 seconds, one American dies of cardiovascular disease. Think about it.

Heart disease also comes at an economic cost. It costs about $ 400 billion annually, including medical services, drug costs, and loss of productivity due to death.

The Me Memorial Healthcare System is aware of the heartbeat of South County. With the motto “Mental health”, we provide a wide range of services from regular medical examinations to chronic medical care and emergency medical care. As the only hospital within 45 minutes of King City, our facility offers acute care, outpatient and emergency services through 25 acute care and 48 skilled nursing beds.

Throughout February, the entire MMHS family will address the causes behind Heart Health Month. More than 800,000 Americans die of heart attacks each year. We do everything we can to protect our friends and neighbors from such fate.

There are many things we can all do to keep our heart healthy. It starts with understanding your risks, making choices, and taking steps to reduce your chances of getting heart disease.

Coronary arteries and other types of heart disease can cause heart attacks, but precautions can reduce the risk of developing heart disease and improve overall health and well-being.

Choosing healthy behavior can reduce your risk of heart disease while preventing other serious chronic illnesses such as type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.

The CDC’s seven strategies for a healthy heart lifestyle are:

1. Learn Your Health History: Know your risks and talk to your family and your doctor about your health history on both sides.
2. Eat a good diet for your heart: Choose healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products. Eat less salt, saturated fat, and sugar. And the amount you eat is as important as what you eat, so work hard to control your part.
3. More movement, less sitting: Being physically active is a big step towards heart health. It is one of the most effective tools to strengthen the muscles of the heart, manage weight, and prevent arterial damage from high cholesterol, high blood sugar, and high blood pressure that can cause heart attacks and strokes. In addition to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for at least 150 minutes each week, you should do at least two days a week for strength-building activities.
4. Quit smoking: Over time, quitting smoking reduces the risk of atherosclerosis and blood clots. If you smoke and already have heart disease, you can reduce the risk of sudden cardiac death, a second heart attack, or death from other chronic illnesses. Start your smoking cessation plan today. Take the first step and call 1-800-QUIT-NOW for free support.
5. Take the medicine as directed: Follow your doctor’s instructions carefully when taking medicine to treat high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes. If you have any questions, be sure to ask a question. Do not stop taking your medicine without consulting your doctor, nurse, or pharmacist.
6. Rethink your drink: use water instead of sweet drinks to reduce calories. Recent studies show that people who regularly drink sugar or artificially sweetened drinks are at increased risk of stroke and heart disease than those who avoid sugar drinks. If you drink alcohol, take it moderately.
7. Monitor blood pressure at home: High blood pressure can reduce the elasticity of arteries and damage them. This reduces the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart, leading to heart disease. The Self-Measuring Sphygmomanometer (SMBP) is easy and safe to use, and your doctor will tell you how to use it if you need help.

What’s missing from that list? I think it’s stressful. We cannot always prevent or avoid it, but we can all change the way we respond to it. When stress is applied, your heart rate rises and your blood vessels narrow. It’s not healthy! Studies show that stress can increase the likelihood that we will have heart disease and have a heart attack.

Since the origin of heart disease begins at a young age, you will learn how to relieve stress early in life and make you and your heart happier. So listen to your body and the signals it gives you, and find a relaxation response that suits you, such as meditation, breathing, yoga, art, exercise, and even counseling. Learning to manage stress is an important tool for our overall health.

Another word about heart health. As a woman, it’s important to share the horrifying statistics that heart disease kills one woman about every 80 seconds and kills more than all forms of cancer combined.

According to the American Heart Association, heart events are increasing in young women in their twenties. At the same time, recent market research shows that the youngest and most diverse groups of women are least aware that cardiovascular disease is their greatest health threat.

That’s why I call on all women (and men) in the community to help fight heart disease by helping February’s American Heart Month, where everyone can focus on cardiovascular health. The Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Department sheds light on high blood pressure (hypertension), a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.

Help ignite the wave of health from coast to coast, as the swell of support helps with the common goal of eliminating the damage of heart disease.

When you ship your Valentine’s Day card and enter the big red bad heart icon in your social media feed, remember the real heart that is beating in your chest.

There is peace and comfort in the regular heartbeat and the sound of the human heart. This is a bioengineering wonder, with a life expectancy of over 2.5 billion times. It is imperative that everyone get as many beats as possible.