healthy you
Tick Talk
HEART HEALTH
RY MARIANNE MrGINNIS
Takingyour own pulse in the morning is a smart thingto do.
O
ver the course of 70 years,
an average person can
expect her heart to beat
about 2.5 billion times.
So it’s little surprise that
the tempo your ticker keeps at rest is a
sign of how healthy it is. A resting heart
rate that is too high or low, or erratic, can
be a symptom of heart disease, stress, low
or high blood pressure, or irregular heart
function. A resting pulse is typically
between 60 and 80 beats per minute.
Athletes and others who are in tiptop
shape boast rates as low as 40 or 50 beats
per minute. “Anything lower than 40 or
higher than 90 should be discussed with
your doctor, especially if you have
accompanying symptoms such as
dizziness, lightheadedness, or anxiety,”
says Dr. Rick Kellerman, past president
of the American Academy of Family
Physicians.
The test: Have a clock with a second
hand on your nightstand, and take your
pulse first thing in the morning before you
get out of bed (the pulse on your left wrist
tends to be stronger and easier to feel).
Once a month or so, count the beats for
60 seconds and write down the results.
Heart Attack Symptoms
*
JL WOMEN’S CAN BE QUITE DIFFERENT
When it comes to heart
attacks—a blockage of
proper blood flow to the
heart—women aren’t small
men. While women may
indeed experience the classic
severe chest pain that shoots
down the left arm, there are
also many women who
experience subtler symptoms
that may not immediately be
recognized for what they truly
are: indicators of a heart
attack. If you experience
these symptoms and they
last more than a minute or
two, call 911.
■ Shortness of breath
■ Sudden, severe fatigue
■ Breaking out in a cold sweat,
nausea, or lightheadedness
■ Lower chest or upper
abdominal discomfort
■ Sudden and intense jaw or
upper back pain
■ A sense of overwhelming
dread
YOU CAN BE
A LIFESAVER
The American Heart
Association now
encourages hands-
only cardiopulmonary
resuscitation, essentially
eliminating the ‘P’ from
CPR. The AHA hopes more
untrained bystanders will
jump in with hands-only
CPR because the chances
of surviving sudden
cardiac arrest fall 7 to
10 percent for every
minute CPR isn’t
provided. “Basically,
you’re functioning as an
artificial heart, pushing
blood around,” says
Dr. Michael Sayre, an
Ohio State University
emergency physician who
led the AHA committee
that approved the new
2008 guidelines. Keep in
mind that you can't be
sued for trying and you
can’t do any harm. “If
you do nothing,” says
Sayre, “the person is
going to die.”
In cardiac arrest, a
person won’t respond
to taps and shouts and
won’t be breathing
normally. Call 911, then
begin compressions.
Press deeply on the
center of the chest at a
rate of 100 presses a
minute. It can be tiring,
so switch off with others
if possible. If interested
in finding a CPR class, go
to
am ericanheart.o rg.
— K elly G arrett
I 9 6 FEBRUARY 2009 BETTER HOMES AND GARDENS
PHOTO: VEER
