Page 117 - Guerin Media Ltd | Active Retirement Ireland Members Annual 2016
P. 117
STROKE & HEART HEALTH HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Take Heart and put your Health First
-A message from the Irish Heart Foundation
The Irish Heart Foundation is the national charity fighting heart disease and stroke, funded 92
per cent by public donations. Our vision is that every person living in Ireland will live a long,
active and healthy life free from heart, stroke and blood vessel disease. Our mission is to lead
in improving the cardiovascular health of people living in Ireland so they do not experience
disability or die from preventable heart, stroke and other blood vessel diseases.
FACTS ON HEART DISEASE AND STROKE HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS:
Heart disease – No. 1 cause of death in Ireland • Chest pain
Approximately 10,000 people die each year from • Upper body pain in the jaw, back, neck or
cardiovascular disease (CVD) - including coronary arms
heart disease (CHD), stroke and other circulatory • Shortness of breath
diseases. CVD is the most common cause of death in • Sweating
Ireland, accounting for 33% of all deaths. The largest • Nausea
number of these deaths relate to CHD - mainly heart • Light-headedness
attack - at 5,000. 13% of premature deaths (under age • Loss of consciousness
65) are from CVD. • Weakness
• Tiredness
HEART ATTACK
The heart is a muscular bag which squeezes to pump The most common symptom of a heart attack is chest
blood around our bodies. Like all muscles it has pain. This is usually a crushing or tight pain, which
its own blood supply and the coronary arteries are may move to your jaw or your arms, particularly
responsible for bringing blood to the heart muscle. on the left side. You may also feel short of breath,
These arteries can become damaged from a condition sweaty or sick. Some people may feel light-headed
called atherosclerosis which involves the build-up of or lose consciousness. You may become anxious or
plaques on the inner surface of the arteries. If a break very afraid. However, 10 to 15 per cent of people
occurs in one of these plaques, a blood clot forms who have a heart attack may not feel anything. This
at this site in the artery and blocks off the blood is more common in older people, especially women
supply to some of the heart muscle. If this occurs, the and those with diabetes. Sometimes these people
muscle gets damaged and the condition is called a just feel weak, tired or short of breath. Some elderly
heart attack. patients may simply become confused.
HOW IS A HEART ATTACK DIAGNOSED?
Your doctor will make a diagnosis of heart attack
based on a number of factors. It is sometimes a
very difficult diagnosis to make and it may take a
few days to make sure the diagnosis is correct. First
of all, the type of chest pain and how long it lasts
www.activeirl.ie Active Retirement Ireland 117
Take Heart and put your Health First
-A message from the Irish Heart Foundation
The Irish Heart Foundation is the national charity fighting heart disease and stroke, funded 92
per cent by public donations. Our vision is that every person living in Ireland will live a long,
active and healthy life free from heart, stroke and blood vessel disease. Our mission is to lead
in improving the cardiovascular health of people living in Ireland so they do not experience
disability or die from preventable heart, stroke and other blood vessel diseases.
FACTS ON HEART DISEASE AND STROKE HEART ATTACK SYMPTOMS:
Heart disease – No. 1 cause of death in Ireland • Chest pain
Approximately 10,000 people die each year from • Upper body pain in the jaw, back, neck or
cardiovascular disease (CVD) - including coronary arms
heart disease (CHD), stroke and other circulatory • Shortness of breath
diseases. CVD is the most common cause of death in • Sweating
Ireland, accounting for 33% of all deaths. The largest • Nausea
number of these deaths relate to CHD - mainly heart • Light-headedness
attack - at 5,000. 13% of premature deaths (under age • Loss of consciousness
65) are from CVD. • Weakness
• Tiredness
HEART ATTACK
The heart is a muscular bag which squeezes to pump The most common symptom of a heart attack is chest
blood around our bodies. Like all muscles it has pain. This is usually a crushing or tight pain, which
its own blood supply and the coronary arteries are may move to your jaw or your arms, particularly
responsible for bringing blood to the heart muscle. on the left side. You may also feel short of breath,
These arteries can become damaged from a condition sweaty or sick. Some people may feel light-headed
called atherosclerosis which involves the build-up of or lose consciousness. You may become anxious or
plaques on the inner surface of the arteries. If a break very afraid. However, 10 to 15 per cent of people
occurs in one of these plaques, a blood clot forms who have a heart attack may not feel anything. This
at this site in the artery and blocks off the blood is more common in older people, especially women
supply to some of the heart muscle. If this occurs, the and those with diabetes. Sometimes these people
muscle gets damaged and the condition is called a just feel weak, tired or short of breath. Some elderly
heart attack. patients may simply become confused.
HOW IS A HEART ATTACK DIAGNOSED?
Your doctor will make a diagnosis of heart attack
based on a number of factors. It is sometimes a
very difficult diagnosis to make and it may take a
few days to make sure the diagnosis is correct. First
of all, the type of chest pain and how long it lasts
www.activeirl.ie Active Retirement Ireland 117
