Being heart awareness month, we would like to share some survivor stories with you and focus more around living with heart conditions rather than spew forth all the stats and facts about heart disease which many of you are already aware of.
Your Heart - quick reminder
The human heart is a muscular pump that keeps blood flowing around the body. It accepts blood from the organs and tissues and pumps it to the lungs to be enriched with oxygen. The blood rich in oxygen is returned to the heart and is then pumped to the tissues of the body to supply them with oxygen. Blood filled with carbon dioxide and waste products are circulated away from the tissues to be cleaned.
Overview of Heart Disease
The human heart will beat about 3 billion times from birth to the age of 90 years. Along the way many things can go wrong with the human heart, including with the heart muscle itself, with the valves that help blood flow, with the heart rhythm, and with the blood vessels that transport the blood.
The heart cannot function at its best without a healthy network of blood vessels that carry the blood away from the heart and back to the heart again. These blood vessels that carry blood are called arteries and veins.
Diseases of the heart itself and the blood vessels are together referred to as cardiovascular diseases (CVD).
Heart diseases can be caused by genetic factors, lifestyle choices, birth defects, infections, or a combination of factors.
Key Heart Messages
- Heart disease and stroke are the second-biggest killers in South Africa, second only to HIV/AIDS
- At least 80% of early deaths caused by heart disease and stroke can be avoided by following a healthy diet, regular physical activity, and avoidance of tobacco use
- Cardiovascular disease and cerebrovascular disease remains the leading killer worldwide, and yet 80% of these deaths are preventable
Inspiring Survivor's Stories
Our lives can be derailed in an instant by circumstances beyond our control. However, whether or not one has a heartbeat, life truly does go on, with or without them. Learning to accept a new reality and finding new paths to fulfilling our dreams after a life setback or deadly diagnosis can be a difficult journey, but the rewards can be better than anything we have ever dreamed before.
How heart failure brought me back to life | L.T. Kirk | TEDxAntioch
Stroke survivor, Jayme Kelly, shares her story of survival & recovery
Surviving a Stroke: Caroline's Story
Getting heart healthy: The missing ingredient | James Beckerman | TEDxPeachtree
In Summary
Heart disease has many lifelong implications. After a heart attack or surgery there is a recovery period and rehabilitation is needed. For many types for heart disease there are ongoing symptoms that require ongoing treatment and changes in lifestyle.
An important part of living with heart disease is to prevent existing heart disease from worsening and causing further cardiac events such as heart attacks or strokes.
Consider going for a medical at least once a year and if you suspect something is wrong, don’t delay, seek assistance from your doctor or local Health practitioner as soon as possible to avoid future cardiac events.
References
Website – https://heartfoundation.co.za/living-with-heart-disease/
Websites – Youtube videos
