Author: Laura Gater
Myocardial Infarction. Pulmonary Embolism. Subarachnoid hemorrhage. These medical terms may give many people a chill, but their common names don’t sound that scary. Heart attack. Stroke. Brain aneurysm. Millions of people die each year from these killers, which are preventable to some extent.
A delay in seeking care can result in a worsening condition. Sudden killers must be treated promptly and aggressively, according to B.P. House, MD, FACEP, medical director of emergency services at Lutheran Hospital, Fort Wayne, IN.
Myocardial Infarctions (Heart Attacks)
Chest pains, shortness of breath, sweating, dizziness, fatigue and light-headedness are all symptoms of a heart attack; however, the symptoms do vary. One heart attack victim may have all these symptoms, and another may just have one or two of them. The number of symptoms does not necessarily mean the heart attack is more or less severe. Immediate medical treatment is required for any heart attack symptoms.
“I think people are fairly aware of heart attacks, due to TV shows and other media coverage,” says Dr. House. “Generally, people are aware of heart attack symptoms. I think they are not very aware of pulmonary embolisms, or blood clots. They are probably not aware of abdominal aneurysms and have only a moderate awareness of brain aneurysms.”
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (Brain aneurysm)
A brain aneurysm is a sudden onset of a headache that can lead to a loss of consciousness, caused by an abnormal stretching of a blood vessel or an artery, which has burst. It has few warning signs and is mostly genetic, so many people are unaware of their susceptibility to it, and so there are not a lot of risk factors associated with it.
An abdominal aneurysm is characterized by severe, excruciating pain through the abdomen to the back. It very rarely occurs in those under age 50, and usually strikes those over age 65.
Pulmonary Embolisms (Strokes)
A pulmonary embolism is a blood clot or piece of material that travels through the artery and clogs it, cutting off blood supply to that particular area of the body. When the clot or material reaches the lung and bursts, it can cause loss of consciousness, and loss of sensation or voluntary motion.
Symptoms of a pulmonary embolism are a painful swelling in the leg from non-trauma, or for no apparent reason. The leg should be examined for a pulmonary embolism, according to Dr. House.
“We see a lot of people who are afraid of having blood clots. Lots of people come in with a bruise and think it’s a blood clot. The ones you can see are not blood clots. It’s the veins you can’t see, deep in the legs, that can be dangerous. Superficial veins are not big enough to carry a blood clot. Many women have varicose veins, and although they can get a clot in those, they are not at risk of getting a pulmonary embolism [from varicose veins],” explains Dean Elzey, MD, medical director of Redi-Med, Fort Wayne, IN.
A transient ischemic attack (TIA) is sometimes a forerunner of more serious cerebral (brain-related) accidents. A TIA is characterized by sudden neurological problems, such as double vision, slurring of speech, numbness, paralysis, or fainting, due to an insufficient blood flow to the brain.
An embolic stroke, or a pulmonary embolism, is when a patient has developed a clot in the chamber of his heart that can break off and lodge in a small artery. The symptoms are a very irregular heartbeat, numbness in one or both arms, and/or vision problems. The risk factors for a pulmonary embolism are smoking, immobility (someone who is unable to move around a lot), hormone replacement therapy, or oral contraceptive use. Again, the risk factors are high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol, and being overweight.
“One-fourth of an aspirin a day, for people over 30, can prevent many of these embolisms, or one baby aspirin a day can cut down on blood clotting. Aspirin is one of the most little-known preventatives,” says Dr. Elzey.
Preventing Sudden Killers
“Black males have a lot of problems with hypertension. Control of hypertension would help reduce deaths from embolisms. Knowing if you have a blood sugar problem and controlling it can go a long way,” explains Dr. Elzey. “High blood pressure can come on all of a sudden. Many people don’t know they have it. The symptoms [of high BP] may be very different from person to person, but most people can tell when their blood pressure changes.”
Regular preventative checkups, which include a family medical history, are highly recommended in order to minimize risk from sudden killers. Having a regular physician who knows one’s family medical history and therefore knows one’s medical risks is an asset in medical care and prevention. Lifestyle is another aspect of risk reduction.
“Eat a healthy, balanced diet that is low in saturated fat and cholesterol, exercise regularly for 20 to 30 minutes three times a week at least, and know your medical risks and family history,” says Dr. House. “Those are about all we can do to prevent sudden killers.”
© Copyright, PeopleMenders.com Inc., 2009. All Rights Reserved.
About the Author
Laura's writing specialties are medical, health and business topics.
Just a few of her published writings: Medical Imaging, 24x7, Podiatry Management, Strategic Healthcare Marketing, Advance for Imaging & Radiation Therapy Professionals, Podiatry Management, RT (Respiratory Therapy),Corrections Forum, Radiologic Technology, For the Record, Plastic Surgery Products, Orthodontic Products, Chiropractic Products, Podiatric Products, and The American Journal of Managed Care (supplement on NSAIDs).
Laura is also the temporary medical producer for several websites, writing news briefs. She has also done healthcare research and reports, provided public relations for several non-profit organizations and taught freelance writing classes.
|
|
Comments
|
All blog comments are strictly opinions of the writers and do not reflect the views of peoplemenders.com.
Post Your Own Comment
Don't forget to
Log-In first.