[Steppes] A message about your hearts

[Chiara]

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Considering the events at Gulf War (specifically the res battle...) and how
many people have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, I am posting the
warning signs for heart attack and stroke.  Please, everyone, read through
these.  It is important for everyone to know.  Even if you are 100% healthy,
the person sitting/fighting next to you may not be.  This becomes even more
important at an event when hospitals are likely to be farther away and the
911 system may not be available.  Please know when to call a chirurgeon or a
hospital.

Heart Attack:
* 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. This feeling often comes along with chest
discomfort. But it can occur before the chest discomfort.
* Other signs: These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea
or lightheadedness
Stroke:
* Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on
one side of the body
* Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
* Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
* Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

* Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
Please call 911 if you or someone else has these symptoms.  Teenagers have
been having heart attacks.  Children can have a stroke.  (A stroke is when
your brain does not get blood due to a block or a hole in a blood vessel.
There are now ways of treating a stroke, but it is imperative that it be
caught in time.  Some drugs can only be used for certain types of strokes
within a very short time period-around 3 hours afterwards.)

A few risk factors that you should be aware of:
High blood pressure
High cholesterol
Obesity and overweight (a waistline more than 35" for women, 40" for men)
Smoking
Physical Inactivity (A good reason to go to fighter practice....)
Diabetes
Age
Gender (male)
Family history
Previous/existing cardiovascular disease

If you need any other information, go to www.americanheart.org
<http://www.americanheart.org> , email inquiries at heart.org
<mailto:inquiries at heart.org>  or call our information line at 800-242-8721.
(The people who answer the phone are the ones that I help train!)  Or you
can ask me.  I'm a wealth of knowledge!  (Or at least I have a wealth of
knowledge on my desk...)  I will see if I can get y'all some wallet cards,
stickers, etc. with the warning signs on them and bring them to fighter
practice.  (I'll probably keep a stash in my truck for whenever I make it
out to the Elfsea practice.)  If you want any brochures about risk factors,
conditions, etc. I can get some for you.  If you are not in the
Steppes/Elfsea area, just send an email with your address and request to
inquiries at heart.org <mailto:inquiries at heart.org>  or call the 800 number and
brochures will be mailed to you for free.  (Unfortunately, no bulk-but feel
free give out the 800 number!  Any caller can get free brochures!)

Can someone cross-post this message on Elfsea?  (And wherever else you think
may be appropriate?)  (Charlie, can you post this on the Seawinds list?)
Please pass this on to friends and family.  Cardiovascular disease is the
No. 1 killer in the US, more than the next 6 causes of death combined!

Ok, getting off of my work soap box.

Fray-Chicky Pedro
______________
Cathy Williams
Customer Interaction

American Heart Association
7272 Greenville Avenue
Dallas, TX  75231-4596
214.706.1767
214.706.2139 FAX
cathy.williams at heart.org

Sincerely,
Chiara Francesca
Ansteorra, Steppes, Texas
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