Nebraska Panhandle News

Chadron Community Hospital & Health Services participated in National Wear Red Day.  National Wear Red Day is the first Friday in February, and coincides with American Heart Month.  National Wear Red Day helps increase awareness of heart health and the dangers and prevention of heart disease.  We encourage you to take extra steps each day to show your heart some love. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States for both men and women. The good news is you can do a lot to protect your heart and stay healthy. Heart healthy living involves understanding your risk, making choices, and taking steps to reduce your chances of getting heart disease, including coronary heart disease, the most common type. Coronary and other types of heart disease cause heart attacks, but by taking preventive measures, you can lower your risk of developing heart disease and improve your overall health and well-being. The first step toward heart health is understanding your risk of heart disease. Your risk depends on many factors, some of which can be changed and others that cannot. Two of the major risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure (the force of your blood pushing against the walls of your blood vessels) and high cholesterol (waxy, fat-like substance that’s found in all cells in your body). If either of these numbers is high, work with your healthcare provider to get it to a healthy range.
Choose one or more of the following activities to keep your heart healthy.

• Choose heart-healthy foods, such as fruits and vegetables, while limiting highly processed foods with saturated and trans fats and added sugars.

• Choose your drinks wisely – substitute water for sugary drinks to reduce calories.

• Manage Stress - an emotionally upsetting event, particularly one involving anger, can serve as a trigger for a heart attack or angina in some people. Stress can contribute to high blood pressure and other heart disease risk factors.

• Get regular physical activity. Be sure to talk with your healthcare provider before starting a regular activity program to ensure safety.

• Quit smoking - Smoking can raise your risk of heart disease and heart attack and worsen other heart disease risk factors.

• Get enough good quality sleep - Sleep plays a vital role in good health and well-being throughout your life. Not getting enough sleep or good, quality sleep over time can raise your risk for chronic health problems.

• Learn your health history – know your risks and talk to your family and doctor about your health history.

• Take medicines as directed – if you take medicine to treat high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or diabetes, follow your doctor’s instructions carefully.

Original source can be found here.