Know signs of heart attack and stroke

Tom Blanchard knows all to well how heart disease can change a person’s life. Last summer, out of the blue, despite doing his best to exercise and watch his diet, he had a heart attack.

“While I shouldn’t have been surprised, given my family history,” Blanchard said, “I was nonetheless shocked. I remember thinking, what was all this diet and exercise good for anyway, if it’s still going to happen? I was about 95 percent vegan, exercised pretty hard regularly and was in great shape for a late 50s guy. After my heart attack, I had two stents put in and am doing well now, and then it was back to the exercise and diet routine, along with some bothersome medications.”

Blanchard said, “I’ve learned that none of us is really safe from disease, as much as we think we might be.”

Between his family doctor and his cardiologist Blanchard learned that from 33-50 percent of first time heart attack patients don’t survive. “I’m also on a mission to tell everyone, especially us lughead guys, if you experience any of the telltale signs of a heart attack, don’t even think about ignoring them. Call the squad,” Blanchard said.

Always pay attention to your body’s responses to exercise. Some of these are associated with normal adaptation to increased stress, but others can be more serious.

Both heart attack and stroke can start slowly, with mild symptoms, and so initially the individual may not be aware of what is happening. Heart attack symptoms include discomfort in the chest or other areas of the upper body. 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. This may feel like pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain. Symptoms of heart attack can also include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach, and can be different for men than for women. Other signs may include breaking out in a cold sweat, becoming dizzy, nauseated or lightheaded.

The American Stroke Association states the following warning signs of 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 walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination

* Sudden, severe headache with no known cause

* Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes

Cardiac arrest strikes immediately and without warning. Here are the signs:

* Sudden loss of responsiveness. No response to gentle shaking.

* No normal breathing. The victim does not take a normal breath when you check for several seconds.

* No signs of circulation. No movement or coughing.

If cardiac arrest occurs, call 911 and begin CPR immediately.

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