Pictured: Dr. Kyle Ulveling
February is American Heart Month, and staff at the Manning Regional Healthcare Center (MRHC) are encouraging patients to learn the difference between two of the most common heart issues, heart attacks, and cardiac arrest. Dr. Kyle Ulveling, a cardiologist with the Iowa Heart Center, says, “A heart attack and cardiac arrest are different diagnoses with two very different treatments.” A heart attack occurs when there is not enough blood flow to the heart. Common warning signs include exertional chest pain that worsens with activity; a feeling of fullness, indigestion, or choking; sweating, vomiting, or dizziness; severe weakness; or fast, uneven heartbeat. He says, “If you have any of these signs, don’t wait until it’s so bad that you don’t think you can complete an activity. Get checked out right away either by your primary care provider, an urgent care or at the ER if it is severe.” Alternatively, cardiac arrest occurs when the heart goes out of regular rhythm and beats too slow or too fast, limiting blood flow to the body. Ulveling says, “One of the best things that you can do just as a person in the community is, if you’ve got access to training, learn how to do CPR and be trained how to use an AED. You can help somebody in the future should that happen to them.” According to Ulveling, the best ways to maintain a healthy heart are to limit sodium, fats, or carbohydrates in your diet, exercise for 20 minutes per day at least five days per week, and attend regular heart checkups.
