Working in travel therapy, you are a go-to source of knowledge for your patients. One of the hot-button issues is heart disease, which is the leading cause of death in the U.S., according the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While your body can be likened to a machine that functions best when all its parts are healthy, the heart is its core engine.
With that being said, heart disease is a poorly understood killer. The condition is often considered a problem for men, yet more females than males die of heart disease each year. In fact, it claims the lives of 500,000 women – that's 1000 percent more deaths than breast cancer. It's important to get your patients up to speed on the risks of heart disease.
Symptoms
A big roadblock to information is that some heart disease symptoms in women may be different than those experienced by men. Fortunately, as a travel PT, you can educate your patients so they'll understand the unique signs.
The most common heart attack symptom in women is pain, pressure or discomfort in the chest. The tricky part: It's not always severe or even present. Females are more likely than males to have heart attack symptoms unrelated the chest pains. Tell your patients to keep an eye out for:
- Shortness of breath
- Neck, shoulder, jaw, upper back or abdominal discomfort
- Right arm pain
- Unusual fatigue
- Vomiting or nausea
Prevention is the best cure
Symptom watching is helpful, but a better plan is prevention. The step after learning information is informed action. Heart disease can be avoided with a number of life-saving changes. Pass along the following ways to steer clear of heart disease:
- Quitting smoking: Nearly 20 percent of all deaths from heart disease in the U.S. are directly related to cigarette smoking. That's because nicotine decreases oxygen to the heart, increases blood pressure and blood clotting and damages cells that line arteries. Travel physical therapy professionals should practice healthy habits to help their patients kick the craving.
- Regular exercise: Among the wealth of other health benefits, aerobic exercise strengthens your heart and cardiovascular system by stimulating oxygen flow to the heart.
- Weight loss: Slimming down one's waistline could be the ticket to avoiding heart disease.
- Stress reduction: A little bit of stress is a normal part of life, but too much can spell trouble for the heart. Meditating, exercising and reaching out to a social support system are all great ways to lower stress.