What Is Wrong With the US Healthcare System

A wise man is strong; 

yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

Prov 24

PragerU

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Female Heart Attack: Best Description Ever

FEMALE HEART ATTACKS ARE DIFFERENT

Women rarely have the same dramatic symptoms that men have ... you know, the sudden stabbing pain in the chest, the cold sweat, grabbing the chest & dropping to the floor that we see in movies. Here is the story of one woman's experience with a heart attack.

I had a heart attack at about 10:30 PM with NO prior exertion, NO prior emotional trauma that one would suspect might have brought it on. I was sitting all snugly & warm on a cold evening, with my purring cat in my lap, reading an interesting story my friend had sent me, and actually thinking, 'A-A-h, this is the life, all cozy and warm in my soft, cushy Lazy Boy with my feet propped up.

A moment later, I felt that awful sensation of indigestion, when you've been in a hurry and grabbed a bite of sandwich and washed it down with a dash of water, and that hurried bite seems to feel like you've swallowed a golf ball going down the esophagus in slow motion and it is most uncomfortable. You realize you shouldn't have gulped it down so fast and needed to chew it more thoroughly and this time drink a glass of water to hasten its progress down to the stomach. This was my initial sensation--the only trouble was that I hadn't taken a bite of anything since about 5:00 p.m.

After it seemed to subside, the next sensation was like little squeezing motions that seemed to be racing up my SPINE (hind-sight, it was probably my aorta spasms), gaining speed as they continued racing up and under my sternum (breast bone, where one presses rhythmically when administering CPR).

This fascinating process continued on into my throat and branched out into both jaws. 'AHA!! NOW I stopped puzzling about what was happening -- we all have read and/or heard about pain in the jaws being one of the signals of an MI happening, haven't we? I said aloud to myself and the cat, Dear God, I think I'm having a heart attack!

I lowered the foot rest dumping the cat from my lap, started to take a step and fell on the floor instead. I thought to myself, If this is a heart attack, I shouldn't be walking into the next room where the phone is or anywhere else... but, on the other hand, if I don't, nobody will know that I need help, and if I wait any longer I may not be able to get up in a moment.

I pulled myself up with the arms of the chair, walked slowly into the next room and dialed the Paramedics... I told her I thought I was having a heart attack due to the pressure building under the sternum and radiating into my jaws. I didn't feel hysterical or afraid, just stating the facts. She said she was sending the Paramedics over immediately, asked if the front door was near to me, and if so, to un-bolt the door and then lie down on the floor where they could see me when they came in.

I unlocked the door and then laid down on the floor as instructed and lost consciousness, as I don't remember the medics coming in, their examination, lifting me onto a gurney or getting me into their ambulance, or hearing the call they made to St. Jude ER on the way, but I did briefly awaken when we arrived and saw that the radiologist was already there in his surgical blues and cap, helping the medics pull my stretcher out of the ambulance. He was bending over me asking questions (probably something like 'Have you taken any medications?') but I couldn't make my mind interpret what he was saying, or form an answer, and nodded off again, not waking up until the Cardiologist and partner had already threaded the teeny angiogram balloon up my femoral artery into the aorta and into my heart where they installed 2 side by side stints to hold open my right coronary artery.

I know it sounds like all my thinking and actions at home must have taken at least 20-30 minutes before calling the paramedics, but actually it took perhaps 4-5 minutes before the call, and both the fire station and St Jude are only minutes away from my home, and my Cardiologist was all ready to go to the OR in his scrubs and get going on restarting my heart (which had stopped somewhere between my arrival and the procedure) and installing the stents.

Why have I written all of this to you with so much detail? Because I want all of you who are so important in my life to know what I learned first hand.

1. Be aware that something very different is happening in your body, not the usual men's symptoms but inexplicable things happening (until my sternum and jaws got into the act). It is said that many more women than men die of their first (and last) MI because they didn't know they were having one and commonly mistake it as indigestion, take some Maalox or other anti-heartburn preparation and go to bed, hoping they'll feel better in the morning when they wake up... which doesn't happen. My female friends, your symptoms might not be exactly like mine, so I advise you to call the Paramedics if ANYTHING is unpleasantly happening that you've not felt before. It is better to have a 'false alarm' visitation than to risk your life guessing what it might be!

2. Note that I said 'Call the Paramedics.' And if you can take an aspirin. Ladies, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!

Do NOT try to drive yourself to the ER - you are a hazard to others on the road.

Do NOT have your panicked husband who will be speeding and looking anxiously at what's happening with you instead of the road.

Do NOT call your doctor -- he doesn't know where you live and if it's at night you won't reach him anyway, and if it's daytime, his assistants (or answering service) will tell you to call the Paramedics. He doesn't carry the equipment in his car that you need to be saved! The Paramedics do, principally OXYGEN that you need ASAP. Your Dr. will be notified later.

3. Don't assume it couldn't be a heart attack because you have a normal cholesterol count. Research has discovered that a cholesterol elevated reading is rarely the cause of an MI (unless it's unbelievably high and/or accompanied by high blood pressure). MIs are usually caused by long-term stress and inflammation in the body, which dumps all sorts of deadly hormones into your system to sludge things up in there. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive.

God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. (Acts 17) 

An ER Nurse Says Pay Attention to This

9.4.2020

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Healthy Monday: Women & Nature

According to a new study published in   ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH PERSPECTIVES, American women who live in homes surrounded by more vegetation have significantly lower mortality rates than women who live in areas with less greenery. 

Researchers with the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Brigham and Women's Hospital used data from 108,630 women enrolled in the Nurses' Health Study across the United States from 2000 to 2008, comparing the women's risk of mortality with the level of vegetation surrounding their homes (based on satellite imagery from different seasons and various years).

They found that women who lived in the greenest surroundings had a 12 percent lower overall mortality rate versus those living in the least green areas. The associations were strongest when it came to deaths related to cancer and respiratory diseases: Women living in areas with the most vegetation had a 34 percent lower rate of respiratory-related deaths and a 13 percent lower rate of cancer deaths compared with those who had the least vegetation around their homes.

So what's the association between greenery and mortality? Of course women living in green, natural environments aren't experiencing the full negative health effects of air pollution, noise, and extreme heat, but researchers also theorize that areas with more vegetation also offer increased opportunities for physical activity and social interaction, and therefore lower stress levels. In fact, improved mental health, measured through lower levels of depression, was estimated to explain nearly 30 percent of the benefit from living around more trees, the authors of the study said.

"We were surprised to observe such strong associations between increased exposure to greenness and lower mortality rates," said Peter James, research associate in the Harvard Chan School Department of Epidemiology. "We were even more surprised to find evidence that a large proportion of the benefit from high levels of vegetation seems to be connected with improved mental health."

PS:  My mother lived in a 3rd-world country till her early 30s --- in a mostly care-free environment inundated with greenery & fresh air. We moved to the USA and chose to remain GREEN: lots of vegetables, a home filled with many plants, plus a rear and a front-lawn garden. She was not a smoker, yet died of lung cancer in her 70s (too soon!).  Living in an urban area for most of her adult life, marital stress, and her career choice (Nursing -- caring for the sickly) negated her healthy upbringing. Sad.

Link:
Country Living


Link:
Environmental Health Perspectives

Womens' Health: Your Healthiest YOU

  Celebrate Women’s Health!

It’s never too early or too late to work toward being your healthiest you! This National Women’s Health Week, May 14–20, is a great time to empower all women to make their health a top priority.

pc: Shakell

Women often serve as primary caregivers for their families, putting the needs of their spouses, partners, children, and parents before their own. As a result, women’s health and well-being can become secondary. National Women’s Health Week brings together communities, businesses, government, health organizations, and other groups in an effort to promote women’s health. So remind all the women in your life to be sure they are taking care of their own health along with all the other people they care for.

Build health by building healthy habits

National Women’s Checkup Day is May 8. Follow these tips to help stay your healthiest.

GET PREVENTIVE SCREENINGS. Visit a health care professional to receive regular checkups and preventive screenings. Important screenings for women include an annual physical, blood pressure test, and screenings for cervical cancer (pap test), cholesterol, and thyroid function. Starting at age 50, women should get screened for breast cancer every one to two years. And after menopause, women should get a bone density test to be screened for osteoporosis. Don’t forget to ask about nutrition screenings. You don’t have to guess if you are deficient in vitamin D or B12.

GET ACTIVE. Regular activity is one of the most effective strategies for maintaining a healthy weight. Regular physical activity helps to improve your cardiorespiratory (heart, lungs, and blood vessels) and muscular fitness, helps with mood, and can help reduce your risk of cognitive decline. Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity daily. An example would be brisk walking—activity that raises your heart rate and during which you could talk but not sing. Also aim for strength-building (resistance) exercise 2-3 days per week.

EAT HEALTHY. Eating healthy isn’t really that difficult—and the health payoff is incredible. To reduce your risk of chronic diet-related health issues:

• Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables—at least seven servings per day. Smoothies can be a delicious way to increase your fruit & vegetable intake.
• Eat whole grains, such as whole wheat, oatmeal, and brown rice—and avoid white grains
• Eat lean proteins, including fish, skinless poultry, lean red meats, dry beans, and eggs
• Cook primarily with monounsaturated fats, such as olive oil, and limit fried food
• Limit saturated and trans fats, cholesterol, sodium, and excess sugars
• Drink alcohol in moderation—for women, that means no more than one drink per day
• Take dietary supplements to close remaining nutritional gaps

GET ENOUGH SLEEP AND MANAGE STRESS. Try to get a good night’s rest every night. Adequate sleep makes you more productive and energetic—this means 7–8 hours per night. Develop a sleep routine that includes limiting computer screen time at night. Recognize the signs of stress and take action to address it. Focus on controlling what you can, and let the rest go.

AVOID UNHEALTHY BEHAVIORS. Smoking, texting while driving, not wearing a seatbelt or bicycle helmet, and other unhealthy or unsafe habits can severely damage your overall health.

Most of us go many days between trips to the doctor, a fact that makes it clear that we must take day-to-day responsibility for our health. Whether it’s pushing ourselves a little harder at the gym or calling our doctors to make sure we’re up to date on our screenings, we can all truly make a difference—not just for ourselves, but for all the people we love.