My prayer is that you never have to perform it…

I’ve just recently come off of a series of CPR and 1st Aid Classes bringing a local organization and their staff up to current status with regards to these certifications. No matter what class I teach and who it’s for, I always leave the class with the sense of “maybe one of these individuals will be the one!” As in, one of these individuals in this class will be the one who saves someone’s life by being able to perform CPR and/or 1st.

Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation has an interesting statistic that I always share with the classes that I teach. The bottom line is that for most of us (excluding those who work within the health care industry) will never have to perform CPR in our lifetime, personally I feel pretty good about this stat. However, if we do have to perform CPR on anyone the greatest chance lies in us having to perform it on someone we know and love. That’s pretty scary to think about. Which I think is one of the most important reasons for all of us to learn the basics to CPR and 1st Aid.

One of the first things I discuss with my classes are the opportunities that we have to prevent and/or to be ahead of a serious life threatening situation. For example, listening and knowing when someone is having an asthma or an allergic attack. Recognizing it and handling the situation early can and will prevent the situation from becoming life threatening. It’s the same with recognizing and understanding the signs and signals of an impending heart attack, stroke or cardiac arrest.

Do you know the signs and symptoms of a cardiac arrest or heart attack? Keep in mind that individuals can experience symptoms long before the “big one” occurs. These would be signs that include a tightening of the entire chest area, shortness of breath, excessive tiredness/weakness, radiating pain down one or both arms, radiating pain up into the neck and jaw, pale skin, radiating pain in your back and unconsciousness. So remember that if you can recognize these symptoms and address them early, you might not ever have to deal with actually performing CPR. Most of us ignore the signs and symptoms and/or we deny what’s happening.

It seems like heart attacks, strokes and cardiac arrests come out of the blue, but they don’t. Most appear after cholesterol-rich plaque has festered for decades in arteries nourishing the heart and brain. So what makes an episode happen? A trigger! A trigger would be an event that causes a sudden surge in blood pressure, something that causes the heart to beat faster and harder, some triggers can cause the formation of blood clots, constriction of blood vessels, bursts of inflammation, a tear in a blood vessel or a wild heart rhythm.

I’ve been holding onto an article that I pulled from Harvard Health Publications in August 2007. I found the information to be interesting, not only for the individuals in my CPR classes but for everyone. It was called “What triggers heart attacks?” Here’s what they pointed out as the most prevalent triggers; anger (can increase risk up to 14 times the average), natural disasters and war (there was a 49% increase of heart attacks within a 50 mile radius immediately after the Sept. 11 attacks), severe weather changes, air pollution, infections, sexual activity, overeating, grief, lack of sleep, mental and work-related stress, the use of cocaine and other “recreational” drugs, holidays and sporting events. Geez, from the sound of these triggers I’m thinking that I should be experiencing cardiac issues on a daily basis.

The good news is that most of us are able to handle these triggers without concern. Keep in mind that the chance of having an episode during any of these activities is very low to begin with. The statistics are an average, so the risks are lower to individuals without underlying cardiovascular disease and much higher for those with it.

Inactivate these triggers by lowering your absolute risk. The more flexible you’re arteries and the less plaque they contain, the lower your chances of having an episode. Exercise, don’t smoke, eat a heart-healthy meal and control your blood pressure, cholesterol, blood sugar and weight. Blunt specific triggers, by exercising, reducing stress, managing emotions, vaccinating yourself against flu’s and giving yourself extra minutes to wake up in the morning (so that’s my kids’ excuse!). Avoid triggers and stick with your medications. Many of the standard medications taken for cardiovascular disease prevent or interrupt triggered pathways. Aspirin, beta blockers, statins are used for a reason so don’t mess with your system.

Recognizing triggers is meant to empower you, not frighten you. Knowing what can set off an episode can hopefully help you recognize and/or respond more appropriately to a cardiac or stroke event. The faster you act, the better the results.

 

Deborah Holmes

February 26, 2008