BodyWise Physical Therapy

As you age, your body reminds you almost daily that something doesn’t seem “quite right.” By paying attention to your body’s language of pain, or uneasiness, you can become your own “health care” specialist. You can learn your body’s signals, guiding you to focus on prevention. As you become more comfortable with being your own health care manager, you may initiate more aggressive early detection of problems through other screening and the use of traditional and complementary interventions.

Your primary prevention management activities should include healthy choices: eating a well-balanced diet, exercising, not smoking, limiting use of alcohol and other drugs, and managing your stress. You also need to practice regular self care (secondary prevention) by paying attention to these possible bodily changes and doing the following self examinations: self breast exams, testicular exams, skin changes, shortness of breath, irregular heart beats, changes in bowel or bladder habits; and any other noticeable changes in your body functions that do not go back to normal in a few weeks. When you find something unusual, seek medical care.

Screening For Early Detection
Health Risk Appraisals (secondary prevention) at work can uncover health problems that need further analysis and referral. Your Doctor can perform, or order, a variety of screening tests aimed at early detection (secondary prevention) of problems. Common health problem indicators include: high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, high blood sugar, rectal bleeding, mammography, cervical abnormalities, C-reactive protein, and vision and hearing function. Your Doctor may suggest other tests, depending on your age, gender, and medical history. By actively monitoring your health, receiving early screening and diagnosis, and following treatment recommendations, you will increase your chances for a robust, full life.

Recommended Prevention & Screenings for your Long-Term Health

1. Start with lifestyle: eat a balanced diet and monitor your weight, don’t smoke, exercise, limit alcohol and other drug use, and manage stress.
2. See your health care provider as close to age 40 as possible to get a comprehensive physical. This establishes your baseline screening results for future comparisons.
3. Monitor your body every month; really look at yourself and notice changes in skin, moles, or anything that seems to be changing.
4. Women should get annual gynecological examinations and mammography’s and practice self breast examination (age appropriate).
5. Men should have routine prostate exams and examine their testicles monthly. A PSA test is recommended as part of standard medical screenings for men (age appropriate).
6. Both men and women should have a colonoscopy by age 50 to detect any possibility of colon cancer. Annual fecal occult blood stool testing is recommended.
7. Women should be screened after 50 for osteoporosis/osteopenia (calcium loss in bone).
8. Men and women should see their Dentist twice per year.
9. After 50, both men and women should have their hearing and vision checked regularly.
10. Both men and women should be immunized against pneumonia and influenza.

Source: Wellness Council of America

You Can Save A Life
A heart attack is a frightening event—you probably don’t want to think about it. However, if you learn the signs of a heart attack and what steps to take, you can save a life—perhaps your own. By using the information in this brochure, you will be able to act quickly and calmly if you, a family member, or a friend has a heart attack.

The Bad News
During a heart attack, a clot blocks the flow of blood to the heart. Heart muscle begins to die. The more time that passes without treatment, the greater the damage.

The Good News
Fortunately, clot-busting drugs and other artery-opening treatments can stop a heart attack in its tracks. Given immediately after symptoms begin, these treatments can prevent or limit damage to the heart. The sooner they are started, the more good they will do—and the greater the chances are of a full recovery. To be most effective, these treatments need to be given within 1 hour of the start of heart attack symptoms.

Delay Can Be Deadly
Most people having a heart attack wait too long to seek medical help, and that can be a fatal mistake. People often take a wait-and see approach, delaying because they:

• Do not recognize the symptoms of a heart attack and think that what they are feeling is due to something else.
• Are afraid or unwilling to admit that their symptoms could be serious.
• Are embarrassed about “causing a scene,” or going to the hospital and finding out it is a false alarm.
• Do not understand the importance of getting to the hospital right away.

As a result, most heart attack victims wait 2 or more hours after their symptoms begin before they seek medical help. This delay can result in death or permanent heart damage—damage that can greatly reduce their ability to do everyday activities.

Uncertainty Is Normal
Many people think a heart attack is sudden and intense, like a “movie” heart attack, where a person clutches his or her chest and falls over. The truth is that many heart attacks start slowly, as mild pain or discomfort. Someone who feels such a symptom may not be sure what is wrong. Symptoms may even come and go. Even people who have had a heart attack may not recognize the symptoms, because the next attack can have entirely different ones.

Learn The Signs
Learn the warning signs of a heart attack, but also remember: Even if you’re not sure it’s a heart attack, you should still have it checked out.

• Chest Discomfort—Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. The discomfort can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain.
• Discomfort in Other Areas of the Upper Body—Can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach.
• Shortness of Breath—Often comes along with chest discomfort. But this also can occur before chest discomfort.
• Other Signs—May include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea, or light-headedness.

Who Is At Risk
Many people think that heart attacks are mostly a “man’s problem,” yet heart disease is actually the number one killer of both men and women in the United States.
In men, the risk for heart attack increases after age 45. In women, heart attacks are more likely to occur after menopause (usually, after about age 50).

Besides age, factors that increase the risk for a heart attack include:

• Previous heart attack (angina)
• Family history of early heart disease
  • Father or brother diagnosed before age 55
  • Mother or sister diagnosed before age 65
• Diabetes
• High blood cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Cigarette smoking
• Overweight
• Physical inactivity

If you have one or more of these factors, see your health care provider to find out how to reduce your risk of having a heart attack.

Call 9-1-1: Minutes Matter!
Anyone with heart attack warning signs needs to get medical treatment right away. Don’t wait more than a few minutes—5 minutes at most—to call 9-1-1. By calling 9-1-1 and taking an ambulance you will get to the hospital in the fastest way possible.
There also are other benefits to calling 9-1-1:

• Emergency personnel can begin treatment immediately—even before you arrive at the hospital.
• Your heart may stop beating during a heart attack. Emergency personnel have the equipment and training needed to start it beating again.
• Heart attack patients who arrive by ambulance tend to receive faster treatment on their arrival at the hospital.

Take Note: If you are having heart attack symptoms and for some reason cannot call 9-1-1, have someone else drive you at once to the hospital. Never drive yourself, unless there is absolutely no other choice.

Sources: Wellness Council of America