What is it and what causes it?

Heart attack claims millions of lives all over the globe every year. Myocardial infarction, or commonly known as heart attack, occurs when the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle is blocked. If this blood flow is not immediately restored, the heart muscle dies, thus causing heart attack. Heart attack is the result of coronary heart disease (CHD), which is characterized by the build up of plaque, a waxy substance, in the coronary arteries. If the plaque ruptures inside the arteries, it can lead to blood clot formation which grows overtime. As it grows, it completely blocks the passage of blood in the coronary artery. The plaque build up may count years so this heart damage may not be obvious at first but could cause long term problems in the future.

What are its symptoms?

Symptoms of heart attack can occur anytime and while some people would just shrug it off and dismiss it as a symptom, it is important to pay attention to it as it can save your life. Even if you are not sure, seek the help of your doctor if ever you are experiencing any of the following symptoms:

• Chest pains are the most indicative symptom of a heart attack. This can be felt as a squeezing, burning, fullness, pressure, or discomfort on the left side of your chest that lasts for a few minutes.
• Shortness of breath is another symptom to look out for. This can occur whether your body is at rest or doing strenuous activities. This could also go along with the chest pains or before it.
• Upper body discomfort is another sign of heart attack. This can be characterized by a feeling of discomfort on your arms, back, shoulders, neck or above the belly button.

Symptoms of heart attack vary from person to person, from mild to severe. Thus, if you are feeling any or a combination of symptoms stated above, it is best to check with a specialist as treatments works best when it is given after a symptom has occurred and can save lives and prevent disabilities.

What do I do?

If you think you or someone you know might be having a heart attack, be alert and do not hesitate to call for help immediately. Call 911 for emergency medical attention. Acting fast can save a life. When it comes to heart attack, time is of the essence which is why CPR or cardio pulmonary resuscitation as first aid is very important if a person might be having a heart attack. While heart attack is the leading cause of death everywhere, many people would have higher chances of survival if they got help faster.

If you are not familiar with how CPR should be administered, your best option would be to make sure that you have an AED unit on hand. An AED unit can help guide you through determining whether a patient is in need of chest compression or the application of electric jolts in order to jump start the heart.

CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is an important first aid technique that is performed to people whose heartbeat has suddenly stopped or is not breathing properly or at all. The objective of performing CPR is to delay tissue death by keeping the blood and oxygen circulating in the body. This is done when medical response is yet to come.

While there are two forms of CPR, chest compression (also known as hands-only CPR) and rescue breaths (artificial respiration), we are going to focus more on the hands-only CPR as it is the one recommended if the rescuer is untrained or is worried about giving mouth-to-mouth resuscitation to a stranger. CPR through rescue breaths should only be conducted by people who are confident with their CPR skills.

To carry out the chest compression CPR, these are the following procedures:

1. Put your hands together in the way that one of your palms is over the back of your other hand. Interlock your fingers together and put them over the breastbone at the center of the chest of the person you are to conduct CPR to.
2. With your shoulders above your hands and using your body’s weight, press straight down on the person’s chest to 2 inches or 5-6 cm.
3. Perform 100-120 chest compressions per minute on the person.
4. Keep pumping on his chest until an ambulance or medical help has arrived.

Aside from these steps, a person who is left alone with an unresponsive victim who needs CPR and has no further knowledge about proper CPR can seek help from telephone systems. When you call for an ambulance, and while waiting for it to arrive, telephone systems also give basic CPR instructions that you can do to the victim including CPR and other life-saving techniques. The use of an AED can also prove to be helpful in situations like these.

This *case happened to 11-year old Kendall Stilwell in California. When she noticed that her grandmother Rita Lovato was unconscious and not breathing. Scared and not knowing what to do, she immediately called 911. Lovato had a cardiac arrest and no adult was around to perform CPR on her except the 11-year old girl. When Stilwell called for help, the 911 dispatcher on the other line helped calm the little girl down and gave her instructions to help resuscitate her grandmother and assured her that help is on the way. The dispatcher instructed her on how to perform hands-only CPR since she is untrained in CPR, and even helped her in counting the beats for her at the right tempo.

With the help of Stilwell’s composure and the detailed instructions given by the 911 dispatcher, Lovato was able to survive the cardiac arrest. This story proves that knowledge and skills in CPR can go a long way in saving a life. Whether you are medical professional or not, knowing how to conduct CPR is highly indispensable in cases of emergencies. If you are interested in knowing how to conduct CPR properly, you can always enroll yourself in any of the CPR training programs being offered by a number of institutions such as Citywide CPR.

At this day and age, medicine and technology has truly improved in terms of improving the chances of heart attack survival. However, since heart attack usually comes unexpectedly, it is still one of the leading causes of deaths all over the world due to its suddenness. Heart attack chooses no time and place, and so, this is where the importance of CPR knowledge comes in.

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, shortly known as CPR, is an emergency procedure which is done to manually preserve blood circulation in the brain, heart, and thus the body. CPR allows for the blood to circulate all over the body and maintain breathing in a person who is experiencing heart attack or unresponsiveness while professional medical help is still not available. Over the years, successful CPR stories have proven over and over again how basic CPR knowledge, alertness, and composure in times of emergency have managed to save many lives.

According to the American Heart Association, also known as the AHA, CPR is one of the links in what is known as the “chain of survival” . The chain of survival is a series of actions that, when performed correctly, can save a person experiencing heart attack. In order to raise the chances of heart attack survival, it is important to know what these links are in the “chain of survival”.

The first one is to recognize when a person is having a heart attack and immediately dialling 911 to get quick help. Next is performing CPR while medical help is not yet available. CPR can be done by putting both hands on top of the victim’s chest and manually pumping blood through the heart in order to keep the blood circulating. This method is also known as chest compression. Another CPR method is the artificial respiration; this is done by exhaling into the victim’s mouth in order to push air into the lungs. Since artificial respiration requires accurately checking pulse, chest compression is recommended to untrained rescuers. The next link of the chain of survival requires the use of defibrillators when available. The last link is the immediate life support care which medications and other advanced breathing devices.

While there are CPR trainings and certifications that can be achieved through accredited institutions for medical professionals, lay persons having the initiative to learn basic CPR can be helpful especially if a family member has a history of cardiac arrest. Hundreds of thousands of Americans die every year because they suddenly stopped breathing and no one around was there to perform early CPR. Anyone can learn CPR for a loved one in order to have the sufficient knowledge in emergency response.

While television shows and movies portrays effective resuscitation, this can give the general public an unrealistic expectation about CPR and its effectiveness and so it is still important to base one’s knowledge on founded facts and comprehensive training.

If you want to undergo a through CPR training, your best bet would be the CPR training programs currently being offered by Citywide CPR.

Heart attack is like a thief in the dead of night; but unlike thieves who only get material possessions that you can replace with again over time, heart attack steals the most important thing in the world: life. We’ll never know when it’s going to come, and how fatal it can be. So it is always best to look out and do preventive measures to avoid this deadly disease.

Truth be told, preventing heart attack is as easy as a pie. However, the circumstances that we put ourselves into become instant hindrances that keep us from having a healthy, happy life. But if you can put close circuit television (CCTV) cameras at home to keep thieves at bay, why wouldn’t you do the same for your health? Here are some ways to keep this dreaded disease from claiming precious lives.

It is never too early to take good care of your health. In fact, statistics have shown that due to sedentary lifestyle, poor food choices and bad habits, heart attack does not only happen to adults, but can even happen in young ones as well.

Finding a doctor to assess your health is very important. We can always say we feel healthy and well, but some of the diseases nowadays come when you least expect it. They can only be detected with tests, so make sure to get an appointment for your heart rate, blood pressure, cholesterol and be honest about your diet and lifestyle, so your doctor can give the right diagnosis. Make sure that you also know your family’s health history; this plays a big part in your overall health. Better safe than sorry.

Eat right. You have heard this time and again that eating right is important, but the reason that it has to be repeated is because it’s true. Lowering foods rich in bad cholesterol like trans fat, saturated fats and sweeteners can greatly help in your well-being. Foods rich in fiber, fruits, vegetables and lean meats are best for your body.

Be physically active. Find an active sport that you enjoy so you won’t deviate from doing it. Boxing, running, swimming, are just some of the things that you can do. Mix it up so you won’t feel bored. If you don’t like any of these, walking at least two miles a day is advised. So avoid those elevators and try taking the stairs for a change. Simultaneously, quit your bad habits like smoking, or from secondhand smoke.

Remember, you have to take responsibility for your own body. With the vast information that we can freely get our hands into today, ignorance is no longer an excuse. Keep yourself updated with the latest stories and breakthroughs as well. Be responsible for your body, you only have one of it.

As a secondary precaution, it would also be a great idea to have an AED unit around. This way, no matter what happens or how much you or the people around you know about CPR, you can be sure that someone would be able to administer, at the very least, chest compression.

If you’re watching medical dramas like ER and Grey’s Anatomy, you have probably seen it done a couple of thousand times. Doctors perform hands-only chest compressions to the patient to keep the blood flowing, clear airways and do breathing. It looks easy as the patient comes back breathing for air and the doctors look calm and in control when they do it. You may think you can do it as you have seen it done one too many times, but can you really?

CPR or cardiopulmonary resuscitation is one of the most basic medical techniques taught to people who do not have a medical background as a first aider. CPR involves doing chest compressions in order to pump blood throughout the patient’s body. This is done in order to keep the blood circulation. Breathing air into the patient’s mouth can also be done to keep air into the lungs. Through this, oxygen in the brain and heart will keep flowing thus preventing tissue damage that will ultimately lead to brain damage as well as organ failure.

In the US alone, hundreds of people die every day due to cardiac arrest. If ever you encounter a person or a loved one suffering from cardiac arrest or drowning that needs immediate medical attention like CPR, you would just need to keep in mind these three steps. First, do not panic and keep your head cool. Call for emergency, 911, or the nearest hospital for rescue. The responders will teach you to effectively do the CPR, if you do not know how, until they arrive. Second, pump the victim’s chest hard and fast. Put your hand over the other and place them between the victim’s chest. Do it at the rate of 100 per minute. Alternatively, studies also say that singing the chorus part in the Bee Gee’s song, “Staying Alive,” has the perfect rhythm. Lastly, tilt the head of the patient, pinch his nose and blow air into his mouth to keep air in his lungs. Do it per second until his breathing returns. Do the chest compressions until the help arrives.

While some others have the ‘gross factor’ in doing the air rescue breathing for people they don’t know, studies show that this can be skipped. According to these, chest compression is sufficient enough when it comes to helping save lives. Patients who received CPR through strangers have minimal brain damage even if they did not receive rescue breathing. However, this is only applicable to teenagers and adult. For kids and infants, blowing air in the patient’s mouth is still advisable.

Learning how to perform the proper CPR is one of the best skills anybody can have. It’s useful and if done correctly, can save actual lives, maybe even your relatives’. After all, we cannot count on always having a McDoctor in every medical situation we find ourselves in.

One of the bet ways to learn CPR is to take advantage of the different CPR and AED management programs being offered by Citywide CPR.

You need it but you may not like it; that’s what exercise exactly is. Aside from being seen as time consuming, it can also be physically challenging to keep a regular exercise regimen. Not many people may realize it, however, that exercise offers a lot of health benefits, especially if you happen to have a heart disease.

Now, not all exercise routines is recommended for those with certain heart conditions. That being the case, keeping in mind the following can help you figure out which cardiovascular exercises are just the right ones for you:

1. Check with your doctor first.

Your doctor would be able to tell you the different kinds of activities you can engage in as well as how often you should do these routines. In order to ascertain this, your doctor would have you undergo a number of physical exams including 2D echo and stress test.

2. Avoid isometric exercises

An exercise routine is considered to be an isometric one if it focuses more on strengthening the muscles. In most cases, these routines do not require much change in position. Some of the more popular forms of isometric exercise would include sit-ups and push-ups. Instead of going for an isometric exercise, choose an aerobic one. Some popular examples of the latter would include your usual activities like walking, running, biking, skipping rope, and even ice or roller-skating.

3. The 30-minute Rule

In order for your exercise routine to be effective, it needs to last for at least 30 minutes. Now, while most people think that you need to spend the whole 30 minutes in one go, that is not always the case. In fact, you can break down those 30 minutes in smaller amounts so that you can have around 5 minutes of break before you start the next routine. Once you have become used to the amount of time that you spend for your activities as well as for your breaks, slowly increase the former while decreasing the latter.

4. The 3-Step Rule

When doing an exercise, you do not immediately jump and start your activities. You need to make sure that you follow three steps in order to avoid straining your muscles – warming up, conditioning, and cooling down. The first step ensures that you would not be suffering from muscle soreness later on. It is known to slowly increase your heart rate as well as your breathing. The second step, on the other hand, is where you get the most out of your routine. Make sure, however, that you do not overdo it. The last one focuses more on allowing your heart and breathing rate to go back to its resting condition.

In all of this, however, you have to keep in mind that your routine should not be one that would have you short of breath. If, at any time, you feel heaviness on your chest or difficulty in breathing, you should stop and take a breather. If the feeling does not go away, it would be best to check with your doctor. Make sure that you have an AED unit on hand so that you can deal with any kind of situation.

For most people, Sudden Cardiac Arrest, or SCA, might seem like a death sentence. After all, it comes without warning and could really cause death within a matter of minutes. As grave as it sounds, however, there is actually a way to survive a Sudden Cardiac Arrest. This “way” is what is known as the Chain of Survival.

The Chain of Survival is actually made up of five steps and was developed by the American Heart Association in the ’90s. It was disseminated by the said organization in the same year in order to arm people with the right knowledge when dealing with SCA cases that occur outside of the hospital.

Link #1: Recognize

As with anything else, you need to ascertain first that the patient is suffering from cardiac arrest. That means, you would need to check on how responsive the patient and if he or she is having difficulty breathing. In case the patient is unconscious or cannot breathe normally, your first step would be to have somebody call 911. While this is happening, you can already proceed with the second link.

Link #2: Chest Compression

AHA now recommends that, as soon as you have ascertained that the person is unconscious and has shallow breathing, you need to make sure that you administer chest compression. It is recommended that the chest compression should be at least 100 in a minute with a depth of about 5 centimeters each. It should also be done until the paramedics arrive. It should be kept in mind, however, that, by itself, CPR is not capable of restoring normal heart beat pattern. The longer the patient has to wait for the paramedics to arrive, the lesser the efficacy of chest compression is. The best way to even out those odds would be to make sure that you also have an AED unit that can help restore the normal beating pattern, which brings us to the next step.

Link #3: Defibrillation

Because SCA is commonly caused by an interruption in the normal beating pattern of the heart, you might need to apply electric shock in order to help it normalize. Now, if you have an AED unit on hand, you need not worry about how to apply electric shock, or if there is actually a need for one. While doing chest compression, you can have someone attach the pads of the AED. This would help you determine whether you need to continue with the chest compression or if there is already a need to administer shocks.

Link #4: ALS

In cases of SCA, time is of the essence. That means, the paramedic has to arrive on time and should be able to administer CPR, do defibrillation, and administer cardiac drugs. In some cases, they might also need to intubate the patient. This is the reason why you need to have someone call 911 immediately, while you start the chest compression.

Link #5: Post-SCA care

Getting the patient to the hospital does not mean that all would be well. Both paramedics and first respondents have to understand that every minute counts when it comes to pulling through an SCA episode. Each minute longer that the patient has to wait would mean a higher percentage of him or her not being able to make it through.

When it comes to First Aid procedures, one of the most important things that you would need to learn is CPR. This is because CPR can be used in a number of cases including drowning and heart attack. That being the case, most people think that getting a CPR certification is the be-all, end-all. In truth, however, it is just the beginning. In fact, once you have been certified, you need to make sure that you constantly re-train and update yourself about the latest in CPR.

So what are the newer procedures when it comes to saving life?

1. Hands-only CPR

Not many people may know it but you actually do not have to do the whole CPR cycle in order to save a life. At the very least, you only need to do chest compression at the rate of 100 to 120 per minute with a depth of about 5 centimeters. By doing this until the paramedic arrives, or until the patient gains consciousness, you are actually increasing the chance of his or her survival.

2. The CAB Cycle

In the past, most first respondents are taught that the correct way of reviving an unconscious patient would be to follow the A-B-C cycle. This means, you would need to check and make sure first that the Airway is open. This is typically done by tilting the head back. You would then need to check for look for chest movement and listen for any sign of breathing. At times, you might also need to feel for pulse. Once you have ascertained that the airway is open, you would need to do a mouth-to-mouth resuscitation (or Breathing). When you do this, make sure that you are creating an air-tight seal around the patient’s mouth to ensure that the air is being pushed properly. After that, you would need to do artificial Circulation. This is usually achieved with the help of external chest compression. By pushing on the lower part of the patient’s chest, you are forcing the heart to pump blood around the body.

Currently, however, studies have shown that the ABC cycle is not as effective when it comes to increasing the chances of the patient in pulling through a cardiac arrest or heart attack. What most medical professionals suggest is rearranging the order to C-A-B. This means, you would need to perform chest compression first before checking the airway and doing artificial resuscitation.

3. Focus on the Quality of Chest Compression

If the focus of the CPR in the past is more on making sure that the proper steps are followed, today, medical professionals are putting the highlight more on the quality of the chest compression. That means, you would now need to push harder and more frequently without interruption.

The Bottom Line

No matter how confident you are with your skills, you need to make sure that you still undergo CPR training every now and then. It also helps to ensure that you familiarize yourself, too, with the AED management so that you would have an idea on how to make the most of the said device.

Whether you admit it or not, when it comes to psoriasis, the farthest thing that would come to your mind would be heart problems. After all, psoriasis typically concerns only your skin. Unfortunately, that is not the case.

What is Psoriasis?

Psoriasis is the medical term used to define a chronic inflammatory skin disease. It usually shows up as thickened, red skin that appears to scale every now and then. Some of the most common areas where you would probably experience psoriasis would include the area around the elbow, knees, and the scalp. That being case, very few are aware that there are actually different kinds of psoriasis – plaque psoriasis, guttate psoriasis, inverse psoriasis, pustular psoriasis, erythrodermic, nail psoriasis, and Psoriatic arthritis.

While it is clear among medical professionals how to deal with psoriasis, there is still very little information when it comes to what could be causing it. Doctors, however, have ascertained that the predisposition for this kind of tends to run in the family. A number of studies have also shown that the immune system of an individual could have a role in one’s risk for psoriasis.  Not many people may know it but, a number of researches have also found a link between psoriasis and your risk for heart diseases.

First thing’s first. You need to understand that psoriasis is basically your immune system going haywire due to a perceived threat. In most cases, this “threat” causes the immune system to trigger inflammation. In most cases, the inflammation could involve your blood vessels. When this happens, there is actually an increase in the risk for artherosclerosis, or the build-up of plaque along the walls of the blood vessels. Left on its own, the plaque could hinder the flow of the blood which, later on, could lead to s number of heart diseases as well as heart attack. Fortunately, there is a way to better deal with psoriasis:

1. Healthy Lifestyle

You might have heard it a million times but, if your psoriasis increases your risk for a heart problem, you need to make sure that you live a healthy lifestyle. This would mean planning your diet and making sure that you have a regular exercise regimen. Having food rich in Omega-3 fatty acid is a good idea.You might also want to cut down on your smoking.

2. Stress Management

Although studies have shown that stress is rarely the direct cause for a heart attack, it can still increase the risk for one. That being said, you need to make sure that you keep yourself calm in everyday situation. It is also wise to take a breather every now and then from the daily hustle and bustle of your world.

3. Readiness

If you are at risk for cardiac arrest or heart attack, you need to make sure that those around you would know what to do. This would include encouraging them to undergo CPR training or at least having an AED unit at home. At the very least, you should be able to teach them how to do a simple chest compression.

Ask anyone what they think are the things that could keep your heart healthy, and you would probably end up with answers that include dark chocolates, red wine, bottles of aspirin, and even some nightcap. The question now is, are all of these things true for your heart? You might be surprised at the answer:

Myth #1. Dark Chocolate

Now, before you panic, you might want to hear us out first. The reason why dark chocolate is good for the heart rests on the fact that there were actually minor studies made about it. However, you have to keep in mind that there are different kinds of studies involved in the medical field before something could be considered as a reliable practice. In this case, for example, most studies published were merely observational studies. Having said that, there is some truth to these claims though. Unfortunately, while dark chocolates might be good for the heart, its effect is not as significant as what most people presume. It is also good to keep in mind that chocolate itself contains a lot of sugar as well as calories.

Myth #2. Stress

In general, stress is bad for your heart. However, you need to understand that it is not the sole factor for determining whether you are at risk for cardiac arrest. As what most medical professionals would tell you, the human body has the capacity to adapt to changes in his or her environment. That being the case, stress can increase the risk for cardiac arrest but it would most likely be not the sole reason for it.

Myth #3. Fish Oil and other Food Supplement

Not that food supplement is bad for you but, you have to keep in mind that most food supplements out in the market are not regulated by FDA. Having said that, one of the most common food supplements that people buy is fish oil. Unfortunately, although most people believe it to be good for the heart, that is not always the case. In fact, instead of lowering your LDL, also known as the bad cholesterol, it actually increases it. This is aside from the fact that there is a probability the food supplement could have contraindications with whatever medication you are currently having.

Myth #4. Eggs

For quite a long time, people have believed eggs, the whites in particular, to be so laden with cholesterol that consuming more than one each day could lead to hypertension and, possibly, heart attack. Recent studies, however, have shown that there is very little truth to this. Far from it, eggs are actually a natural source of omega-3 which could lower your risk for a heart attack. Of course, it goes without saying that this is only true if you eat in moderation.

No matter the case, however, you need to make sure that you are ready at all times. This can be done by making sure you undergo CPR training programs or, at least have an AED unit on hand. That way, whether you are having a heart attack or someone needs help, you would always know how to deal with the situation.