February is American Heart Month, and Manning Regional Healthcare Center (MRHC) encourages everyone to learn more about protecting their own heart health, or that of a loved one. The American Heart Association (AHA) reports cardiovascular disease remains the number one killer of men and women. MRHC’s Specialty Clinic Cardiologist, Dr. Kyle Ulveling, wants people to understand the signs and symptoms of a heart attack and stroke and ways a healthy heart can be maintained. “Eat healthy, stay physically active, abstain from tobacco, find ways to manage stress to the best of your ability and schedule regular wellness exams with your primary provider,” Ulveling says. Taking care of your heart is as easy as the ABCs—aspirin, blood pressure control, cholesterol management and smoking cessation. Warning signs of a heart attack include: discomfort, tightness or pain in the chest, arm or below the breastbone, back, jaw or throat; fullness, indigestion or a choking feeling; sweating, vomiting or dizziness; severe weakness, anxiety, fatigue or shortness of breath; and common for women is a feeling of nausea, light-headedness and being unusually tired. In order to mitigate the impact of a stroke, the CDC recommends getting immediate attention, within three hours, at the onset of any of these symptoms: sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm or leg, particularly on one side of the body; sudden confusion, trouble speaking or difficulty understanding speech; trouble seeing in one or both eyes; difficulty walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination; or a sudden severe headache with no known cause. The quickest way to identify a stroke is to remember FAST—face drooping, arm weakness or speech difficulties mean it is time to call 911.
