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Close to Home:
Taking charge of your Health
By Lynette
CFT, FT, CLFC, FNC
If you have a few moments to read this article, please, I encourage you to read on. The most devastating medical tragedy hit close to home, my home. My friend had two major strokes, one at the age of 28, and the other stroke a day after his 29th birthday. I know what you are thinking, “28 years old!” Yes, 28 years old. I would have never thought in a million years that a 20-something-year-old could have a stroke or even two and survive! My goal is to encourage everyone to lead an active, nutritious and happy lifestyle with the knowledge and tools that I provide them. I sincerely hope that I accomplish that goal with this article.
Do you go to the doctor if you are sick? Have you ever thought about the “silent killers”? I know for many of us, health insurance is the biggest issue. Millions of Americans can’t even afford a simple doctor’s visit for a check-up. It is time for Americans to take a stand and demand better healthcare coverage. I know it seems to be a battle that no one can win. This is where we must take charge of our health and arm ourselves with an arsenal of knowledge. Strokes are the nation’s 3rd most leading cause of death and for long-term disability! Would you have known? I would not have if we did not experience a stroke in our family. I’ll be absolutely honest; I rarely if ever go to the doctor for anything and assume that I am in good health because I feel okay. Are you the same way? Now, with another life lesson, it is clear to me, that there is no better time then now to start taking care of my health so I can support my family through this challenging time. I highly encourage you to do the same.
Do you have any of the following risk factors for cardiovascular disease?
· Age
· Race
· Heredity
· High Blood Pressure
· Smoking
· Diabetes
· Blockage to the carotid artery
· Heavy alcohol use
· Artial fibrillation
· Inactive lifestyle
· Stress
We can’t control what we inherit from our family or increasing age, but if you smoke, please stop now! Smokers have two to four times the risk of cardiovascular disease than of non-smokers. Right now is a good time to quit! There are many online and local resources to help you kick the habit.
If you do not know what your blood pressure is, have it checked by a physician no matter your age. There are blood pressure monitors sold at most stores and are an inexpensive investment compared to the cost of all the medical bills you may accumulate from a stroke or heart attack. So what should your blood pressure be? What do the numbers mean?
Here are some basics of blood pressure:
· The First number is the Systolic Pressure – the highest pressure and flow of blood in the arteries when your heart beats
· The Second number is the Diastolic Pressure – the lowest pressure of blood flow as your heart rests between beats.
· Blood Pressure under 120/80 is desirable, and a reading of 140/90 or above are high (hypertension) and can damage the arteries and heart.
Along with checking your blood pressure, I highly encourage you to get your cholesterol levels checked as soon as you can! Knowing your cholesterol levels is so important to make sure that you are not at risk. “Bad” Cholesterol or Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) increases your risk of heart disease and stroke. An LDL level of 100 or less is desirable. Current research indicates that less than 70 is optimal if you have been diagnosed with the risk of heart disease. “Good” Cholesterol or High-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) can help remove that excess cholesterol from the arteries. Higher levels of HDL lower your risk of heart disease and a level of 60 or higher is optimal. Total cholesterol should be less than 200 and as low as 160 if you are at very high risk. (*Please speak with your doctor to determine your risks and your health, this information is provided by American Heart Association and American Stroke Association).
The most important risk factor is turning a sedentary lifestyle into an active lifestyle. If you have a sedentary lifestyle don’t just jump into an exercise program, check with your doctor first to determine if you have any risk factors. Progression is key; quality, not quantity. Start an exercise program slowly. Work your way up to at least 30 minutes of aerobic activities per day, even if it is throughout the day. Remember it is never too late to start! Here are a few ideas to help get the recommended 30 minutes of aerobic activity per day:
· Walk or bike and drive less.
· Walk the stairs instead of taking an elevator.
· Get off the bus a few stops early and walk the rest of the way.
· Mow the lawn with a push mower.
· Garden or rake leaves – or both!
· Clean the house more.
· Do exercises or pedal a stationary bike or walk on a treadmill while watching television.
· Play actively with children (what a great time to feel like a child again! One of my favorites!)
· Take a brisk 10-minute walk or ride in the morning, at lunch, and after dinner.
· Golf (I know many like the sound of that!).
· Dance (one of my favorites!).
· Take part in an exercise program at the gym or at home.
Less active, less fit individuals are 30 to 50% more at risk of developing cardiovascular disease, then those who are active.
Let’s talk about stress. We all have it but how do we decrease it? First we need to take care of ourselves through good nutrition, adequate sleep and exercise. For more information I encourage you to read “Exercising and eating well but still not loosing weight?” at www.myexercisecoach.com and “How Can I Manage Stress?” from the American Stroke Association.
Before this tragedy, I thought I knew the warning signs of a stroke, it was difficult to admit that it could happen to our family and tried to convince myself it was something that could be treated. My friend’s stroke hit the cerebellum, the bottom of the brain. He carried on conversations with everyone and even drove! He could not walk by himself and does not remember that traumatic week still to this day. This part of the brain is one of the most impressive parts of the brain. Studies done in the last decade have discovered a broader view of its function; the cerebellum not only has to do with motor function, but also non-motor functions. The cerebellum has been compared to the world’s most powerful computer capable of making contributions both to the motor dexterity and to the mental dexterity of humans. It contains more nerve cells (neurons) than all of the brain combined! The cerebellum receives enormous amounts of information from the highest level of the brain (cerebral cortex), which is connected by 40 million nerve fibers!! This information includes sensory, motor, cognitive, language and emotional areas sent from the cerebral cortex. Pretty impressive but what does it actually do with that information? So much that research is still being performed to this day. Unfortunately, we went over 100 hours untreated and his cerebellum is about one-third dead. The Neurologists and Stroke Team of Portland Oregon were so amazed that he was in such good condition. The power of the brain is so amazing! I believe that his brain has re-directed the motor functions and non-motor functions to other parts of the brain to take on the “work load”.
So what signs do we need to be aware of? These signs are provided from the American Stroke Association and American Heart Association:
Ø Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm, leg, and especially on one side of the body.
Ø Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding.
Ø Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes.
Ø Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination.
Ø Sudden, severe headache with no known cause.
I also want to add that an individual could have severe vomiting along with trouble with balance, coordination and walking. There is a 90-minute window to prevent brain damage, call 9-1-1 immediately if you or a person you know has any one of these warning signs!
After nine months of recovering I now can write this article for you. Please take charge of your health now. Even if you think you are in good health, a small amount of money to visit with your doctor is worth the investment for you and your family to prevent such devastation.
Again we would like to thank the Grande Ronde Fitness Club for our Benefit held December of 2007. We appreciate all the support from the entire community!
Thank you!
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