How to Avoid Heart Attacks & Strokes

Did you know that coronary artery disease is one of the number one killers in the United States? It is a common type of heart disease. Corony arteries carry blood and oxygen to the heart and give it the nourishment it needs to keep the muscles healthy. When these arteries become clogged with plaque, blood and oxygen have a hard time reaching the heart muscle. This causes pain. If a blood clot forms, blood supply is cut off and a heart attack results.

When the artery leading into the brain becomes clogged, a brain attack occurs. This is called a stroke.

High blood pressure or hypertension can also cause heart disease and/or stroke. This happens when the blood vessels become tight and constricted, forcing your heart to pump harder to move through your body. High blood pressure can occur in children in adults, but it is more common in adults over the age of 35. It is most common in African-Americans, middle-aged and the elderly, the obese, heavy drinkers, and women on birth control pills. Diabetics are also at a higher risk.

Here are some tips to help you prevent high blood pressure. Try to be active every day. Maintain a healthy weight or lose weight if you need to. Use less salt and sodium in your cooking and cut back on alcoholic beverages.

You should be aware of the warning signs of a stroke so you can take appropriate action should one of these symptoms occur. Stroke victims exhibit a sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body. They are suddenly confused and have trouble speaking or understanding. Vision is disturbed and they have trouble seeing in one or both eyes. Balance and coordination are effected and stroke victims have sudden trouble walking and become dizzy. Severe headaches are also warning signs of stroke.

If you notice these signs in yourself or someone you know, call 9-1-1 or your local EMS to have an ambulance sent. Try to note the time so you can relay when your first symptoms appeared to medical staff. Don't waste any time. You could reverse damages if you take immediate action and have clot-busting drugs given within three hours of symptom onset. This drug may help cut down on long-term disability for the most common type of stroke.

Learn more about the good and bad cholesterol. LDLs are bad and what causes plaque in the arteries. This number should be 130 or below. HDLs are the good cholesterol and should be between 50 and 60. Medications are available as well to help manage your cholesterol.

The best advice is to live a healthy lifestyle. Don't smoke, eat healthy foods and exercise. If you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or diabetes, follow your doctor's orders!