Healthy Habits, - Healthy Life

Healthy Habits,

Brought to you by the Clark County Health Department. Your source for trusted information on various health, wellness, and safety topics!

By Katie Cook, BSN, RN

The Clark County Health Department is happy to promote health and wellness to our county residents. In this twice-monthly column, we hope to provide readers with reliable health information. This series will be on heart health, including what it is, protective factors against heart disease, and habits to keep us happy and healthy.

It’s important to be aware of heart conditions that can lead to serious health impacts if left untreated. There are many heart conditions that can affect how a person’s heart functions, whether it’s an irregular rhythm (arrhythmia) or a birth defect. An undiagnosed, underlying heart condition can increase the risk of stroke, heart attack, or other problems.

The most common type of arrhythmia is called atrial fibrillation, or AFib. AFib is a heart condition that causes an irregular and rapid heartbeat in the upper chambers of the heart.

AFib can be caused by changes to the heart’s tissue or electrical signaling, high blood pressure, or coronary artery disease.

Some symptoms of AFib include:

❤ Heart palpitations, quivering, or fluttering heartbeat

❤ Fatigue, especially with exercise

❤ Weakness

❤ Sweating

❤ Trouble breathing, anxiety

❤ Dizziness and fainting

❤ Low blood pressure

❤ Chest pain or pressure Unfortunately, these symptoms are common with many other heart issues. Fluttering and palpitations are symptoms of AFib. According to the American Heart Association, those sensations are the key difference between AFib and a heart attack, and must be diagnosed and controlled with heart specialists.

Some people have mild symptoms or no symptoms. Sometimes people do not know they have AFib until they are getting a workup done for a procedure or surgery. It may be detected during a wellness exam if a primary care provider observes an irregular heartbeat, or if there is an EKG (electrocardiogram) performed.

If you have an arrhythmia and are on medication for it, please do not discontinue medication unless your doctor advises you to do so. Discontinuing the medication can make your issue worse, and potentially lead to the events you are trying to prevent. This is true for other conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol.

AFib can lead to an increased risk of stroke, up to a 20% increase, which is why many people with AFib are on blood thinners.

Everyone should know the warning signs of a stroke. The American Heart Association uses the acronym F.A.S.T. to help people spot the signs.

Spot a stroke F.A.S.T., whether these warning signs are what you are feeling or you notice them in someone else:

❤ Face drooping: Does one side of the face droop, or is it numb? Ask the person to smile.

❤ Arm weakness: Is one arm weak or numb? Ask the person to raise both arms. Does one arm drift downward?

❤ Speech difficulty: Is their speech slurred? Are they unable to speak, or are they hard to understand? Ask the person to repeat a simple sentence, like “The sky is blue.” Could they repeat the sentence correctly?

❤ Time to call 911: If the person shows any of these symptoms, even if the symptoms go away, call 911 and get them to the hospital immediately.