Retrospect: I am a Heart Attack Survivor

If you follow the news closely, and by closely I mean in a timely manner, you are aware of former President Bill Clinton's stent procedure that took place following "chest discomfort" today.  I can't help but feel heart-sick.

After reading my own post titled, 'It Hurts and It Hurts', I feel I haven't followed my own advice.  Had someone told me they were feeling the way I described in my post, I would have urged them to seek medical care.  Of course, I considered going to the hospital.  So, what held me back?  My $100 co-pay for the emergency room and the fact that the emergency room doctors never do anything.  It is a vicious cycle. Unless you are literally on your death bed (and they are able to determine so), the emergency room doctors seldom are proactive for patients.  I know I sound ungrateful.  I'm not ungrateful, however, this is my experience in the emergency room, time after time.  

When I had my heart attack, one of the responding Emergency Medical Technician's (EMT) tried to persuade me that I was fine and probably just overworked (I told the EMT I had been at the gym prior to calling 911).  Add that knowledge to the fact that I was overweight and only in my early thirties and it's plausible that the EMT felt I was someone older (in his opinion!), who was out of shape and had overexerted herself at the gym. I told the EMT (along with the 911 operator) that I felt I was having a heart attack.  

When I arrived at the emergency room by ambulance at the local hospital I was left on the gurney in the hallway.  The pain in my shoulder blades (a heart attack symptom in females) increased and I began yelling at any personnel who passed by, that I needed help and thought I was having a heart attack.  They looked at me like I was crazy.  I kept yelling (truly, this only went on for a few minutes, but situations like that feel like hours).  I was not about to be quiet.  They moved me into a room where they tried to calm me.  Finally they hooked me up to an electrocardiogram (EKG).  I kept asking if I was having a heart attack.  Suddenly the small room filled with people.  A man walked in, dressed in golfing attire (it was a Saturday afternoon).  When I saw him I immediately knew I was having a heart attack.  He took my hand and confirmed that I was having a heart attack; he was the cardiologist who saved my life and I will forever be thankful for him.  

I have never had any ill feelings towards the medical personnel who originally lacked reaction when I said I thought I was having a heart attack.  Heart attack in women is consistently misdiagnosed.  It is the numero uno killer of women.  Number 1!  Both medical personnel and we as patients have to be diligent about heart disease education; knowing the symptoms and better diagnosis on the part of medical professionals, to change the way that heart attack is overlooked in women.  I am a heart attack survivor, and it needs to remain that way, as it does with other women.
  
February is American Heart Month.  Please familiarize yourself with the differences between male and female warning signs of stroke and heart attack.  Second, make lifestyle changes if you haven't already done so.  Lastly, find out as much as you can about your family medical history:  there should be no question so uncomfortable as compared to saying goodbye too early to a loved one.

Baby, It's Cold Outside!!!

Winter Weather Tips from the American Heart Association
Combo of colder temperatures and physical exertion increases the workload on the heart

The American Heart Association says that for most people, shoveling snow may not lead to any health problems. However, the association warns that the risk of a heart attack during snow shoveling may increase for some, stating that the combination of colder temperatures and physical exertion increases the workload on the heart. People who are outdoors in cold weather should avoid sudden exertion, like lifting a heavy shovel full of snow. Even walking through heavy, wet snow or snow drifts can strain a person’s heart. 

Click here for more information on how cold weather affects the heart.

To help make snow removal safer, the American Heart Association has compiled a list of practical tips.

• Give yourself a break. Take frequent rest breaks during shoveling so you don’t overstress your heart. Pay attention to how your body feels during those breaks.
• Don’t eat a heavy meal prior or soon after shoveling. Eating a large meal can put an extra load on your heart.
• Use a small shovel or consider a snow thrower. The act of lifting heavy snow can raise blood pressure acutely during the lift. It is safer to lift smaller amounts more times, than to lug a few huge shovelfuls of snow. When possible, simply push the snow.
• Learn the heart attack warning signs and listen to your body, but remember this: Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, have it checked out (tell a doctor about your symptoms). Minutes matter! Fast action can save lives — maybe your own. Don’t wait more than five minutes to call 9-1-1
• Don’t drink alcoholic beverages before or immediately after shoveling. Alcohol may increase a person’s sensation of warmth and may cause them to underestimate the extra strain their body is under in the cold.
• Consult a doctor. If you have a medical condition, don’t exercise on a regular basis or are middle aged or older, meet with your doctor prior to the first anticipated snowfall.
• Be aware of the dangers of hypothermia. Heart failure causes most deaths in hypothermia. To prevent hypothermia, dress in layers of warm clothing, which traps air between layers forming a protective insulation. Wear a hat because much of your body’s heat can be lost through your head.

Heart Attack Warning Signs

Some heart attacks are sudden and intense — the “movie heart attack,” where no one doubts what’s happening. But most heart attacks start slowly, with mild pain or discomfort. Often people affected aren’t sure what’s wrong and wait too long before getting help. Here are signs that can mean a heart attack is happening:

• Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
• Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
• Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
• Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness

As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain.

Calling 9-1-1 is almost always the fastest way to get lifesaving treatment. Emergency medical services (EMS) staff can begin treatment when they arrive — up to an hour sooner than if someone gets to the hospital by car. EMS staff is also trained to revive someone whose heart has stopped. Patients with chest pain who arrive by ambulance usually receive faster treatment at the hospital, too. It is best to call EMS for rapid transport to the emergency room. If you can’t access EMS, have someone drive you to the hospital right away. If you’re the one having symptoms, don’t drive yourself, unless you have absolutely no other option.

For more information, visit your physician or call the American Heart Association at 800-AHA-USA1 or visit online at www.americanheart.org. 

Migraine Linked to Increased Heart Attack Risk

Migraine Linked to Increased Heart Attack Risk

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Researchers aren't sure why two conditions are connected

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- People with migraines are more likely to have heart attacks, a new study shows, but the exact reason why the two conditions are linked is still unclear.

The incidence of heart attacks in people with migraine is almost double that of people who don't suffer the headaches, according to a report in the Feb. 10 online edition of Neurology by a group including Dr. Richard B. Lipton, a professor of neurology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City.

The study, which compared 6,102 people with migraine and 5,243 without the headaches, found a 4.1 percent incidence of heart attacks in the migraine patients, compared with 1.9 percent in those without the debilitating headaches.

Previous studies have found an association between migraine and cardiovascular problems including heart problems and stroke, Lipton noted. One study, which looked at only women, found an increased incidence of stroke, especially for migraine with the visual disturbances called aura (women are up to four times more likely than men to have migraines). Another study, which looked only at men, found an increased risk of heart disease.

"The strength of this study is that we have a very large number of migraine sufferers, data to distinguish between migraine with and without aura, and longitudinal data on men and women in the same study," Lipton said.

The new study did find a higher incidence of heart attack for migraine with aura -- three times that of the migraine-free group. It also found that people with migraine were more likely to have the classic risk factors for heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular problems: diabetes (12.6 percent versus 9.4 percent), high blood pressure (33.1 percent versus 27.5 percent) and high cholesterol (32.7 percent versus 25.6 percent).

But those risk factor differences did not account for the increased migraine-associated risk, Lipton noted. "The risk remains elevated even after we adjust for the known cardiovascular risk factors," he said. "There have been suggestions of a genetic link, but the nature of the link is not entirely clear."

Even so, Lipton added, "Cardiovascular risk reduction is important for everybody. If you have migraine, it might be more important for you than for the general population. They should be particularly vigilant about controlling body weight, keeping blood pressure low, modifying all the risk factors that are within their control."

Studies are underway to see whether better control of migraine can reduce the cardiovascular risk, said Lipton, who is conducting one such study. "That is something we don't know yet," he stated. "But if you have four or five disabling migraine days a month, it makes sense to take the medications that control them. If they reduce the risk of heart attack and stroke, so much the better."

Results of those studies are expected "over the next couple of years," Lipton said.

Cardiologists, especially those who treat women, should pay attention to those results and the current study, even though they appear in a neurology journal, said Dr. Holly Andersen, director of the Ronald O. Perelman Heart Institute at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City.

"Clearly, the majority of people who have migraines are women, often young women," Andersen said. "This is a marker that might help prevent cardiac disease. There have been several large population studies that show women with migraines have an increased risk of cardiovascular events. These are the women we should be intervening with. If they use oral contraceptives there should be a concern, because they can form blood clots, particularly if they smoke."

And since the risk of stroke in women who have migraine is clear, "it's not too much of a stretch to think they have a threat with heart disease," said Dr. Dara Jamieson, director of the headache center at New York-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. "But this is an observational study that needs to be expanded to get a better understanding of mechanisms," Jamieson added.

Prevent a Blood Clot

Health Tip: Help Prevent a Blood Clot

Friday, January 15, 2010

Don't sit or stand in the same position for too long

(HealthDay News) -- Blood clots most often occur in people who don't move around enough and among people who have had recent surgery or injury. A clot can travel to the heart or brain, leading to a heart attack or stroke.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests how to help prevent a blood clot:

• Wear clothing and socks that fit loosely.
• Occasionally lift your legs to about six inches above your heart.
• If prescribed by your doctor, wear compression stockings.
• Follow your doctor's recommendations for exercise and take all medications as prescribed.
• Avoid sitting or standing in the same position for longer than one hour.
• Limit your salt intake.
• Avoid crossing or bumping your legs.
• Don't put pillows beneath your knees.
• Elevate the end of your bed about four to six inches.

It Hurts and It Hurts.

My heart was really hurting last night.  My chest cavity {heart} was sore for several hours late into the night/early morning.  For a while I had what felt like an almost burning feeling strictly in my heart.  My heart felt very heavy.  I took an aspirin and it felt better (great?).  I am anxious to go to my cardiology appointment.  

I hate feeling (the) arrhythmia; I don't think I'll ever get used to it and wish it would cease.  I don't mean to sound negative, I simply get tired of having my body feel fragile; like there are butterflies inside my chest; like I could break apart.

Speaking of breaking apart, I am very frustrated.  I just found out that apparently my father was diagnosed with arrhythmia in his thirties. It would have been nice to have known this when I had my heart attack/myocardial infarction or maybe, perhaps, before!?  Adoptive parents are looking better and better.  Is that possible still?!  I am trying to have a sense of humor about what I perceive as selfishness/sheer parental failure.  Certainly, if pertinent medical information isn't going to be disclosed with your child(ren), what kind of a "loving" and "selfless" parent can you claim to be?  As I said, is there adoption for thirty-something's?  Only kidding, I'd much rather carry on with my life (full medical disclosure on my father's part would have been ideal since I wasn't left on a door step for nun's to raise!).