T.J. Samson | Destination Health | February 2018

4 DESTINATION HEALTH Heart health Head What you may feel: lightheadedness Neck What you may feel: pain or discomfort Lungs What you may feel: shortness of breath Back What you may feel: pain or discomfort Arms What you may feel: pain or discomfort in one or both arms Jaw What you may feel: pain or discomfort Shoulders What you may feel: pain or discomfort Chest What you may feel: mild or severe pain or discom- fort in the center or left side of the chest Stomach What you may feel: pain or discomfort; nausea Source: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Symptoms of a heart attack Chest pain or discomfort is the most common symptom of a heart attack. But symptoms can be felt in many areas of the upper body: Beyond the chest Having a healthy heart is one of life’s must-dos. That’s why if your doctor suspects there’s something wrong with your ticker, he or she may recommend one or more of these treatment options. Treatments help a heart stay strong LIFESTYLE CHANGES Often, the first step to a stronger heart is a change in habits: Practice smart eating. Fo- cus on enjoying a more plant-based diet—one that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Make meat a secondary item on your plate. Limit sodium and saturated fats. Aim for a healthy weight. Even a small weight loss (if you’re overweight) can provide a big benefit. Say no to stress overload. Learn to relax with deep-breathing exercises. Or consider taking a stress-management class. Get active. Just be sure to re- view your new exercise plan with your doctor first. If you light up, quit. Giving up smoking may be the healthi- est change you can make. Ask your doctor for help dropping the habit. MEDICATIONS A diagnosis of heart disease can trigger a list of new medications. Some of these drugs might do double-duty. For example, a class of drugs called ACE inhibitors treats both high blood pressure and heart fail- ure. Beta-blockers may be used to lower blood pressure, relieve chest pain and treat abnormal heart rhythms. If lifestyle changes aren’t enough to control your cholesterol, your doctor might prescribe a statin medication. You also may need an anticoagulant medicine to help prevent blood clots from forming in your arteries. IMPLANTABLE MEDICAL DEVICES Probably the best-known of these is a pacemaker.The wires of this small, battery-powered device are inserted into heart tissue to help keep the heart beating in a regular rhythm. Also inserted into heart tis- sue are the wires of an implant- able cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). An ICD keeps track of the heart’s rate and can deliver electrical shocks to bring the heart back to a normal rhythm. A left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is a kind of mechanical pump that’s surgically implanted when a heart is too weak to work on its own. LVADs often are used to keep a heart going until a transplant can be found. PROCEDURES AND SURGERY If an artery to your heart is blocked by fatty plaque, which can hurt blood flow, your doctor may recom- mend either angioplasty or coronary artery bypass grafting to reopen the artery. During angioplasty, a long flex- ible tube (catheter) is inserted through an artery or vein. At the tip of the catheter is a deflated bal- loon.The catheter is threaded up to the blockage.The balloon is then inflated, crushing the plaque against the artery wall and restoring blood flow. Often a mesh tube called a stent is placed in the artery to help keep the artery open. During coronary artery bypass grafting, also called open-heart surgery, a healthy vein or artery from another part of the body is used to reroute blood flow around the blockage and to the heart. Sources: American Heart Association; National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Our team of experts help make hearts healthy. Learn how they can help yours at tjsamson.org . A steady beat