Matters of the heart
Anna Rolleston of Tauranga’s Centre for Health highlights the importance of protecting your ticker and keeping an eye out for any warning signs of heart disease.
Photo Jahl Marshall
Did you know your heart is not just another organ in your body, but rather a life-sustaining force that keeps you going day after day? Unfortunately, heart disease remains one of the biggest killers worldwide, accounting for a staggering one-third of all deaths globally. But why are we still struggling to get a handle on heart health? Despite the alarming number of heart attacks that occur every day, many of us still underestimate the importance of taking care of our heart.
Your heart is the ultimate powerhouse that pumps oxygen-rich blood to every corner of your body. Without its proper function, your body simply cannot work at its best. Heart disease is an umbrella term that encompasses a range of conditions, including coronary artery disease, heart failure, and arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation. These conditions can lead to serious complications such as heart attack and cardiac arrest, which can be fatal if not treated in a timely manner.
Did you know there’s a difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest? While these terms are often used interchangeably, they’re two entirely different things that can go wrong with your heart. A heart attack happens when there’s a plumbing issue caused by a blockage in the arteries that supply blood to the heart muscle itself. This can lead to symptoms such as chest pain, shortness of breath, and sweating. Cardiac arrest on the other hand can be likened to an electrical problem that results in a sudden loss of heart function. This can be caused by a heart attack, but also stems from underlying inflammation, trauma, or irregular heart rhythms. Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment with CPR and defibrillation.
Knowing how to perform CPR could save someone’s life, and it’s an easy
skill to learn – you don’t need to be a healthcare professional, and I highly recommend taking a course.
It’s crucial to be aware of your risk factors for heart disease. Factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes, a family history of heart disease, being overweight and inactive can all increase your chances of developing heart disease. However, even if you don’t have any of these risk factors, it’s still important to take proactive steps to protect your heart health. After all, your heart has to keep ticking for your entire life. Without proper care, you can’t expect it to function smoothly year after year.
Heart disease affects men and women differently. While it’s often thought of as a man’s problem, heart disease is just as significant for women. Shockingly, around 55 New Zealand women die every week from heart disease. It’s important to be aware of the key differences between
the sexes when it comes to heart health. For instance, women may be more susceptible to some risk factors, such as smoking. Women with diabetes are also at a greater risk of heart disease than men with diabetes. Furthermore, having a family history of heart disease can be a stronger predictor of heart disease in women than in men. Men are more likely to develop heart disease at a younger age than women, while the risk for women increases with a drop in protective oestrogen levels close to, during and after menopause. Women also tend to experience different symptoms of heart disease and heart attack than men. Symptoms such as nausea, indigestion, and back pain may be more common in women, which can make it harder to diagnose.
So if you feel something is off, you’re just not feeling right, and you have risk factors for heart disease or a family history, go and get yourself checked out.