This post has been generously sponsored by Bayer.
Heart Health is incredibly important to me. Why is that? Well, a few years ago I had a high blood pressure reading, followed by another one and so on until I was worried I’d need regular high blood pressure medication. I narrowly turned that around with lifestyle changes and my wireless home blood pressure monitor, but I still monitor it. But heart health remains top of mind for me daily.
This month everyone has hearts and love on their mind. Every single store is full of heart shaped chocolates and pillows and candies. Romantic love is celebrated and Valentine’s cards are shared. Maybe you and your sweetheart will head out from a special weekend or a romantic dinner for two. But, did you know February is also Heart Month in Canada?
Before you go too nuts on chocolates and sugary sweets…Why not also take time to appreciate and better understand your most hard-working organ?
Five Heart Health Facts:
The human heart is an amazing organ. It is approximately the size of your two hands clasped together.
Your heart is relatively small but mighty. During an average lifetime it pumps around 1 million barrels of blood (enough to fill more than 3 super tankers).
The heart beats about 100,000 times a day.
In the average lifetime, the human heart will beat more than 2.5 billion times.
In fact, 70% of people who have their first heart attack also have high blood pressure.
Recognize Symptoms of a Heart Attack:
You may not like to think about it, but it’s also important to be able to recognize a heart attack, which is what happens when a part of the heart muscle isn’t getting enough blood flow. Symptoms vary by individual; common ones include:
- Chest discomfort
- Upper body discomfort (including discomfort in the arms, jaw, neck and back)
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating and nausea
- Light-headedness
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In the case of a heart attack make sure you seek immediate treatment. The longer you wait, the more damage to the heart muscle can occur. If you think you are having a heart attack, call 911 then crush or chew two ASPIRIN®81 mg tablets – it could save your life. ASPIRIN 81mg is approved in Canada for emergency use during a heart attack. If you have questions about your heart, talk to a doctor or trusted health care professional.
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I am a Bayer ambassador and as such I receive compensation for this post. My opinion is my own and it is also truthful.
The older I get, the more I worry about mine and my husband’s heart health! We need to make sure we take care of it!
Yes we do absolutely need to take care of our hearts and our husband’s hearts too.
I take a Bayer aspirin (81) every night before bed. I didn’t have a heart attack (thankfully), but I had to have a stent placed in one of my arteries. I, too, take heart health seriously.
It’s so important to take heart health seriously. We have dealt with heart issues in my family so I really understand the power of Bayer Aspirin in protecting the heart.
This is very close to my heart (no pun intended). A family member just a month ago had open heart surgery. It is something we take seriously in our family. I’m glad there is there to help with his health as he gets better.
This is really helpful information. My family has a history of heart attacks. You would think that I would know the warning signs, but, sadly, I didn’t. This was definitely helpful to me.
This is great information!!! It’s important to always be aware of things like what can help with heart health.
With family histories of heart issues, my husband and I take our heart health very seriously. We work out every day and we take the time to get a checkup with our doctor whenever we need it. Heart health is so important.
Lisa – that is excellent to read. I was working out 3-4 days a week. Recently I again have been reevaluating that because my doctor is clearly saying I need to do so daily. That’s a hard one to squeeze in but I am going to have to do it. So upping my exercise game this month.
My dad took Bayer aspirin every day as recommended by his doctor to protect his heart. Heart health is so important.
This is important information for people to know. My doctor recently put me on 1 aspirin a day while we try and diagnose what’s going on for me.
Such important information for everyone to know. Thank you for sharing this!!!
Today I have learned some new stuff I didn’t know about the heart. Alway wanting to improve my knowledge and be healthier.
These are some interesting, but good to know facts! Heart health is so important- I had a friend who had a heart attack out of nowhere the other year.
Knowing the symptoms is so important. Unfortunately, women have different symptoms often and I wish they were talked about and researched more as well.
This is great information. It’s so important to know how to prevent a heart attack and also how what the symptoms are so you can seek care.
Thanks for sharing, we don’t talk about this enough. My BFF had a heart attack at 35 years of age.
I never realized how much my heart beats in a day. All the more reason to take care of it. Great read!
I’m currently on blood pressure medication and was on 2 medication for it a few months ago. I try to make sure I take care of myself more to take better care of my heart and health.
Bonnie: I hope the medication has helped you. Thanks for your comment.
Great article to raise awareness about heart health! it’s always great to learn more about how to take care of this vital organ. And the perfect month to do so!
thanks for spreading awareness on this. i never knew how many times a heart beats a day. the body is amazing. wow.