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Holidays Are Hard On Your Heart

The holiday season from Thanksgiving through New Year’s conjures up warm visions of family gatherings, traditional meals, and holiday events.  Few of us think of the holidays as the heart attack risk factor that research shows them to be.

A study published in the research journal Circulation brought attention to the significant rise of heart attacks and heart-related deaths that occur during the winter holiday season. It’s not just colder weather to blame: the results were similar regardless of climate.

Holidays are supposed to be happy times, so what is causing this spike?  Researchers believe that several factors are to blame, including eating huge meals, being less regular with healthy habits, overindulgence in alcohol and, of course, holiday stress.   You’ve likely heard this before, but it’s worthwhile to stick with healthy habits and try to reduce your stress over the holidays.

Another factor that may explain the increase in heart-related deaths over the holidays is worth considering. Individuals experiencing heart-related symptoms during the holidays often delay getting medical attention. After all, who wants to interrupt Thanksgiving dinner or Christmas gift unwrapping to say that they aren’t feeling well?  It would be tempting (but possibly deadly!) to write off that chest pain or pressure as a little indigestion.

Because heart attack and stroke can happen to anyone, and because sudden cardiac arrest occurs with little or no warning, we’re asking you to make your holidays heart healthier in a way that lasts all year long. Take just five minutes at your next family gathering to make sure that everyone knows basic heart attack and stroke symptoms, and what to do in case of sudden cardiac arrest.

For stroke, think F.A.S.T: Face drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties, it’s Time to call 9-1-1. For heart attack, common symptoms include chest pain or pressure, jaw pain, shortness of breath, pain radiating down one or both arms, or nausea. Symptoms may come on slowly or suddenly. The first thing to do for anyone having symptoms is to call 9-1-1, and follow dispatcher instructions while waiting for help to arrive. Get more details at www.heart.org and www.stroke.org.

Over 80 percent of sudden cardiac arrests happen in the home, making it important that family members know what to do if someone collapses. Remember check-call-compress:  check to see if the victim is responsive or breathing, and if not, call 9-1-1. Start pushing hard and fast on the center of the victim’s chest until emergency personnel arrive or someone arrives with an AED. Push about two inches deep to the beat of the old disco hit, “Stayin’ Alive,” about 100 pushes per minute. Doing hands-only CPR can double or even triple a person’s chances of surviving a sudden cardiac arrest.

Search for “hands-only CPR” on YouTube, and you’ll get plenty of short video clips demonstrating the technique. These are perfect for viewing at your next family gathering before you indulge — but don’t overindulge — in that delicious holiday meal.

Chautauqua County has high rates of both heart attack and stroke, but an estimated 80 percent of heart attacks and strokes are preventable.  CHQ250 is an initiative of the Chautauqua Health Action Team(CHAT), encouraging you to take action to be one of at least 250 strokes, heart attacks, or related deaths prevented in Chautauqua County in the coming year.  This column is written by CHAT members to share information to help you to do your part to live a life free of stroke or heart disease; it is not intended to replace advice provided by your healthcare team. Please direct questions or comments to: activecounty@co.chautauqua.ny.us.

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