Heart Myths That Leave You At Risk
By Lifesaver Education
Heart Disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and it is an equal opportunity killer as it effects most ethnicities in nearly the same percentages. According to the CDC, “About 47% of sudden cardiac deaths occur outside a hospital. This suggests that many people with heart disease don't act on early warning signs.”
Not only do people not act on early warning signs, often times they are actually confused as to what they are. There are the ubiquitous signs and symptoms most people believe they would recognize if having a heart attack, such as: dizziness, sweating, left arm pain and intense chest pain, perhaps feelings of indigestion etc. But the fact is, these symptoms do not always appear. There are occasions in which the symptoms of a myocardial infarct (heart attack) mimic other illnesses. This alone illustrates that there are indeed myths about heart health that may put you in danger.
A common myth that people believe is that they will actually know when they are becoming symptomatic of heart disease, high cholesterol or high blood pressure. This is not precisely true; the only way these things can be certainly and thoroughly measured is through tests ordered by a physician. Another common illustration of a heart myth is that heart disease and heart attacks affect both women and men in the same manner. The truth is, that though heart disease affects ethnicities nearly the same, it does not affect genders the same. Women tend to have subtly different symptomatic presentations. Aside from this, it is often believed that younger women are not affected by heart disease, or are even at risk for a heart attack, but this too is not always the accurate.
Another common belief is that things like Omega 3 fatty acids and Aspirin are adequate preventives, and while they certainly help, it is not true in every case. Things such as genetics and diet factor into the equation. As a matter of fact, lifestyle choices in general play into heart disease and the consequences of it. However, if one is careful with their lifestyle choices, and is aware that there are heart myths out there; it is completely possible a little vigilance can certainly reduce your risk for heart disease. To learn more about how to keep your heart healthy, or about avoiding heart myths, visit your local Los Angeles CPR class through Lifesaver Education or find an online BLS class.
Leave a Comment
Subscribe to RSS feed
"I love taking classes at Lifesaver. The facility is super clean and updated. The staff is awesome!"
-
Jasmine C., RN
Follow us
on Facebook