Keep calm and carry on this holiday season

With the holiday season upon us we tend to get so busy with our life we forget to manage our heart health. With the shopping, the cooking and planning often times we get a bit stressed out. Being stressed and not putting our health first - could be harming ourselves beyond repair.

One of the biggest problems during a holiday season is wearing ourselves out. Becoming mentally and physically exhausted is something that many do. That means, going and not stopping until we get sick. Of course we all get colds and the flu bug - but what damage are you doing to your heart?

Depression is often higher during the holidays whether or not it's financial problems, family problems or grieving for the loved ones we have lost. Remembering is a good thing, as long as it doesn't effect your daily life or daily routines.

Overeating during the holidays can cause some huge issues on your heart as well. Many times as we attend the holiday get-together's we stuff ourselves until we are bloated and cannot do our daily exercise. Also - watch out for the "spiked punch" at the office party which can take a toll on our heart as well.

Watch and check your blood pressure during these busy times as well. The "unexpected guests", the "I need, I want" from the children and trying to keep up with your normal pre-holiday life can get to all of us and that is when your blood pressure can spike causing heart attacks and strokes.

Stay calm and carry on and keep "peace" and control in your life this holiday season - your heart will thank you.

Be Blessed from Living for Zachary

From the family of Living for Zachary~    Thank you for your generous support of the Living for Zachary organization- dedicated to raising awareness of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) in youth.    Your kind heart and generosity has helped Living for Zachary save young lives from SCA by educating the community about the condition and by increasing the placement of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in locations such as schools and youth recreation centers.   Additionally, we continue to screen the hearts of youth ages 12-22. We have screened 800 youth through our "Living for Zachary Heart Screening." "A grateful heart is one that finds the countless blessings of God in the seemingly mundane everyday life".   Anonymous Thank you again, for your commitment to Living for Zachary. We wish you and yours a joyful Thanksgiving full of love and laughter and surrounded by the ones you love. Be blessed,    Karen Schrah and the family of Living for Zachary

Are you and your Doctor asking the right questions at a check-up?

As parents - we often think we are doing all the right things. We take our children  to the Doctor, to the Dentist, we have their immunizations and we even research schools and colleges before sending our kid's away. But many times, we as parent's are not investigation the health of our child like we should.

Are you paying attention when your child is getting their "check up"? Are you asking questions and making sure that the physician knows all they should about your child?

A recent MSN article reports that 28 percent of physicians didn’t always ask if a teen if he or she had chest pain during exercise. 26 percent didn’t always ask about a family history of early deaths from heart related issues.

What does that tell us? You cannot always trust that the physician will do these things, therefore it is up to US as parents to ask our own kid's if they are having any heart issues, chest pain or feeling faint or shortness of breath. This doesn't mean that your physician is a bad physician it means that they really don't even know to ask about heart related issues. It is imperative that you as a parent find out all you can about how your child is feeling and your family history so that you can share this information with your Doctor.

Inquire to your kid's what is going on with them, go the extra mile and dig to how they are feeling, especially after exercise or sporting events. With all the recent deaths and SCA occurrences it is OUR job to have our child's heart screened if our normal physician isn't asking questions.

We encourage you to call 1-800-4BAYLOR today to schedule a Living for Zachary screening for your child today and you won't have to wonder any longer.

Have your heart screened for a possible Heart Murmur

While most are innocent because of healthy valves ~ heart murmurs can reveal some critical information about the health of our heart. Heart murmurs are caused by blood flowing through the different valves of the heart; when one of these is clogged or damaged, the valve becomes overworked trying to compensate which can lead to many serious health problems including heart attack, heart disease and rheumatic fever to name a few.

Problems with the heart valves are typically brought to the patient's attention after a serious heart condition rears its ugly head; however, sometimes the defects in the valves are there from birth.

Most of the negative symptoms of heart murmurs can be treated with surgery. However, more serious conditions including holes in the heart or the hardening of the arteries, a condition called atherosclerosis, must be treated long-term with medication.

As always, take the extra step to check and make sure that your heart, as well as the heart's of your family and friends, is healthy by getting an electrocardiogram (or ECG) or simply have your heart screened at THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano.  Don't wait until your body brings any heart conditions to the light, be proactive and you could save a life - yours or your loved ones! If you have questions about heart screening - visit the Living for Zachary FAQ page. Even though the Living for Zachary Heart Screenings are only for people 12-22 - visit your cardiologist or THE HEART HOSPITAL Baylor Plano to inquire about a heart screening for you.