Be The Beat during American Heart Month

February is American Heart Month, and this year the American Heart Associationโ€™s theme is โ€œBe The Beatโ€ to encourage the public to know how to perform hands-only CPR. Tim Harms, the senior director of communications for the American Heart Association in Indiana, shares that about 350,000 people nationally suffer a sudden cardiac arrest each year. Ninety percent of those people donโ€™t survive.

โ€œCPR more than doubles the odds of survival by 50 percent. It takes two to three minutes to learn hands-only CPR,โ€ he says.

First in the two-step method is to call 911. Second, push fast and hard in the center of the victimโ€™s chest until the EMS arrives. Sixty-second videos are available on the AHAโ€™s website.

For prevention, Harms recommends three things incorporated into your lifestyle to reduce the risk of heart disease or stroke:

Eat Smart
Harms reminds readers, โ€œEat more fruits and vegetables, more whole grains, cut back on added sugars, watch salt intake, and strive for a well-rounded diet.โ€

Move More
ย โ€œThe AHA recommends adults get at least 150 minutes minimum of moderate exercise per week,โ€ he adds. โ€œObviously, the easiest and lowest cost โ€” and available almost anywhere โ€” is walking.โ€

Monitor Blood Pressure
โ€œWe encourage people to see their physician to get their blood pressure checked or go to the pharmacy for a free screening. You can buy a cuff and monitor it at home,โ€ he says.

โ€œSometimes change sounds daunting,โ€ Harms says, โ€œso start with something and build from there.โ€

What To Do If You Experience Heart-Related Distress

If suddenly experiencing heart issues, โ€œPay attention to what your body is telling you,โ€ Harms says. โ€œYou know your body, and you know when something doesnโ€™t feel right. Many times, in the instance of a heart attack, itโ€™s very sudden chest pain, youโ€™ve got nausea, youโ€™ve got sweating, things that arenโ€™t normal. Donโ€™t play it off and think you can just rest or (say), โ€˜Iโ€™ll lay down for a while,โ€™ or just take an aspirin.โ€

โ€œItโ€™s potentially a very serious event thatโ€™s happening. Definitely call your doctor or call 911 or get to the emergency room and be checked out,โ€ he emphasizes. โ€œThe worst thing theyโ€™re going to tell you is it wasnโ€™t anything and send you home. In the best case, theyโ€™re going to potentially save your life by you taking action and not ignoring those symptoms.โ€

Jodi Keen
Jodi Keen
Jodi Keen is the managing editor of Evansville Living and Evansville Business magazines.

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