Skip to main content

Diagnosing Cardiovascular Disease in Women and Tampa CPR Classes

Determining overall risk factors for cardiovascular disease can be challenging, especially when it comes to women who have multiple risk factors to test for and monitor. Regardless of the sex, every individual should work with their doctors to efficiently manage the risk factors. One should adopt a healthy lifestyle inclusive of regular physical exercise and a heart-healthy diet to ensure a long shelf-life. A healthy lifestyle can keep cardiovascular disease at bay.

Cardiac arrests and heart attacks are the most life-threatening of all cardiac emergencies. A victim would require immediate treatment for survival with the most appropriate treatment being proper application of the life-saving CPR procedures. The techniques comprise chest compressions and rescue breaths. For a CPR class Tampa, make sure to sign up in an accredited training center such as the AHA certified CPR Tampa in Florida. Both theoretical and practical training are imparted to the students.


Tests for Diagnosing Cardiovascular Disease:
One should seek immediate help if one notices any heart attack warning signs or stroke symptoms or are concerned about the risk factors in general. Such emergencies require immediate attention. The tests to determine the risk of heart disease include

1.      Blood tests
2.      Electrocardiography (EKG or ECG)
3.      Echocardiography
4.      Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
5.      Stress tests
6.      Computed tomographic angiography (CTA scan)
7.      Ankle-brachial index test (ABI)
8.      Cardiac catheterization (angiography)

Risk Factors:
One should be aware of the risk factors which will enable an individual in efficiently managing them. The best way to manage cardiovascular disease is by managing the risk factors well. It is important for women to get a mammogram every year as it is important to check on your cardiovascular system. Your primary care physician or cardiologist may recommend certain tests according to the risk factors. The biggest risk factors include high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It is crucial to check the blood pressure and cholesterol, especially for women after menopause, even if you've never had any symptoms of cardiovascular disease. The ideal LDL (bad) cholesterol level is 100mg/dL or below, especially if one has risk factors such as high blood pressure, are obese, or have a family history of heart disease. For women, the target HDL (good) cholesterol level is above 50 mg/dL. When it comes to blood pressure, it should not go above 140/90 mmHg for long periods of time.

Facts about Tests:
Both men and women get cardiovascular disease but the best way to treat it may be different. As per researchers, a traditional diagnostic test for heart disease - an angiogram - may not identify a condition that is more common in women, called microvascular disease (dysfunction of the tiny blood vessels that supply the heart muscle with blood). Research is still going on about how microvascular disease can be best diagnosed. A cardiologist may diagnose someone with this disease if one has the following:

1.      Chest pain (also known as angina) during routine activities.
2.      Known risk factors for heart disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), obesity, smoking, a family history of heart disease, etc.
3.      An angiogram that may not show blockages in major bloods vessels of the heart but a stress test that indicates reduced blood flow to the organ.

Heart attack warning signs in women:
It is important to call the emergency medical services by dialing 911 if you have one or a combination of the following symptoms:

1.      Sudden onset of weakness, shortness of breath, nausea/ vomiting, indigestion, fatigue, body aches, or overall feeling of illness (without chest pain)
2.      Unusual feeling or mild discomfort in the back, chest, arm, neck, or jaw (without chest pain)
3.      Sleep disturbance
4.      Anxiety
These signs are particularly common in women. Some of the signs not unique to women are
1.      Chest pain or discomfort (Remember: Heart attacks are not always preceded by chest pain).
2.      Pain radiating to the neck, shoulder, back, arm or jaw.
3.      Pounding heart, change in rhythm.
4.      Difficulty breathing.
5.      Heartburn, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain.
6.      Cold sweats or clammy skin.
7.      Dizziness.

Hope, this information proves to be beneficial for you. For more information or to sign up for a CPR program, contact CPR Tampa on 727-240-9404.
Labels:
Location: Tampa, FL, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ways to Handle Heart Emergencies and Tampa CPR Classes

Some of the heart emergencies include heart attack or myocardial infarction, a sudden cardiac arrest or SCA (sometimes called out-of-hospital cardiac arrest - or OCHA) and an angina attack or unstable angina. These are life-threatening emergencies and a victim would require proper and immediate treatment for survival. Joining a CPR class Tampa and learning the valuable life-saving procedures is one of the best ways that can help you to handle heart-related emergencies. Always select an accredited training center for acquiring training such as the AHA certified CPR Tampa. Experienced instructors conduct the classes through a series of audio and video lectures and hands-on practice. There are courses for both healthcare and non-healthcare providers.  Symptoms of Heart Attack : Chest pain is the most vital symptom which often starts in the middle of the chest and moves to the neck, jaw, ears, arms and wrists. It can travel between shoulder blades, back or stomach ar...
3 comments
Read more

Risks, Types and Causes of Atrial Flutter and CPR Classes in Palm Harbor

Atrial flutter is a problem when the atria of the ticker beats rapidly and regularly due to an anomaly of the ticker’s electrical system that usually results in a tachycardia (an abnormally fast heart rate). An individual with the condition may get feelings like near-fainting, rapid heartbeats (palpitations), mild shortness of breath and fatigue. During atrial flutter, the ticker beats extra fast about 250-400 beats per minute. This type of arrhythmia (abnormal heart rhythm) can be dangerous because complications can easily develop, and a normal heartbeat is 60-100 beats per minute. Atrial fibrillation is another arrhythmia that atrial flutter is closely related to. Atrial Flutter Types : 1.       Persistent atrial flutter which is more or less permanent. 2.       Paroxysmal atrial flutter which can come and go. An atrial flutter episode usually lasts hours or days. Risks: The main danger is that your ticker doesn’t p...
Post a Comment
Read more

Facts About Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease

The aortic valve is a one-way valve between the heart and the aorta, regulating blood flow from the heart into the aorta. It is the main artery from the ticker/the major blood vessel that distributes oxygen-rich blood to the body, and also prevents the blood from flowing back from the aorta into the ticker when the pumping chamber relaxes. Bicuspid Aortic Valve Disease (BAVD) is one of the most common congenital heart conditions that can go unrecognized for years without incident. Surgery is the only fix once it starts to cause problems. Normally, the aortic valve has three small flaps or leaflets that open widely and close securely to send oxygenated blood on a one-way route from the heart to the aorta. But in bicuspid aortic valve disease (BAVD), the valve has only two leaflets, which can cause life-threatening problems. This congenital heart condition affects about 1-2 percent of the population, and it is twice as likely to develop in men, might go unrecognized for years i...
2 comments
Read more