Women's heart health was the focus of a Go Red for Women event held Friday morning at the Wadley Senior Clinic. Women, most dressed in eye-catching red, visited with health care providers at the event. There was a wealth of educational information available to those who attended. They were also treated to some heart healthy snacks.
"This event is really about information," said Shelby Brown, Wadley director of marketing. "Eighty-percent of heart events can be prevented with education and lifestyle changes. Know your risk factors. Know your numbers."
The important numbers to know are blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar, weight and BMI (body mass index).
Attendees had a variety of free screening tests available to them including cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides and blood pressure.
Dr. Sylwia Karpinski, a cardiothoracic surgeon with Heart and Lung Specialists of Texarkana, visited with women who attended the Go Red event.
"Know your family history and if you are at risk for heart disease. Ask your primary care physician if you're not sure," Karpinski said. "If you are at risk, it's important that you eat healthy, exercise, control your blood pressure and decrease stress."
It's also important for women to realize their heart attack symptoms can be very different from a man's.
"Women can have more subtle symptoms," Karpinski said. "They may not necessarily present with crushing chest pain. Women can just be feeling run down, nausea or indigestion, things they may not think of as being related to their heart. If someone is unsure whether or not they're at risk for heart disease, schedule a visit with your primary care physician and don't be afraid to ask."
Vickie Waller attended the event for the first time and enjoyed it very much.
"My friend invited me. It's a good cause for women. They're doing cholesterol tests and they're giving great information," Waller said.
According to the American Heart Association heart attack warning signs include:
- Chest discomfort that last more than a few minutes or 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 include breaking out into a cold sweat, nausea or feeling lightheaded.
Stroke warning signs include:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body.
- Sudden confusion, or trouble speaking or understanding.
- Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness or lost of balance or coordination.
- Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.