Do you have a Life of Purpose?

There are many good stories and articles out there about "your life's purpose". What exactly is YOUR life purpose? These articles really get you to thinking of exactly what you have done or will do and how your going to achieve additional goals moving forward.

It is imperative that you have a life purpose and it helps your health too! Being a positive life purpose driven person can lead to good health!

A Life of Purpose lowers your health risks: A purpose in your life is imperative for healthy aging.
A Life of Purpose lowers your stroke risk: People who had purpose in life had a 46 percent lower risk of having had unidentified strokes. (According to T. Jared Bunch, MD) This risk persisted when accounting for all stroke risk factors, including a prior known stroke or narrowing of the brain arteries. Other studies have shown that people who have a set purpose in life are less likely to develop Alzheimer's Disease, disabilities or physical limitations as they get older.
A Life of Purpose lowers your risk of heart disease: 

• 23 percent reduction in death
• 19 percent reduced risk of heart attack

Whatever your drive is, or feel your purpose is in life - go forward. Find good things in your life and make them count - It will keep you healthier and happier!

Symptoms of Panic; not Heart Disease

Many people will experience symptoms of panic, worry or anxiety in our lives and sometimes these feelings can trigger medical symptoms. Your body reacts and responds to allow us to cope. Have you ever felt anxious where your heart starts beating quickly and you get cold and clammy? In some people, symptoms of anxiety can mimic heart disease.

Here are some basic facts and stats about Anxiety and Panic Attacks:

• Anxiety attacks rarely cause you to pass out. Everyone has felt dizzy or lightheaded at times, especially when we stand up. 
• If you are anxious or panic you often breathe very quickly or hyperventilate. This can cause a feeling of numbness and tingling in the tips of your fingers on both hands and often a similar sensation around your mouth. Most of the time these symptoms are from anxiety causing hyperventilation.
• We all experience little extra beats and they typically feel like a skipped or hard beat. People with abnormal heart rhythms often feel these extra beats and then suddenly the heart rhythm goes very fast, like a light switch turning on a light. Typically with anxiety the heart rate increases in a uniform manner without the extra or skipped beats.
• The best way to truly understand if it is anxiety causing a fast heart rate or a fast heart rate causing anxiety is to wear a heart monitor and be seen by a Cardiologist. This is a simple device that records your heart rhythm day and night for a certain number of days.

We are Sharing the Pictures from the Living for Zachary HeartBeats Gala 2015

Thank you for attending the 2015 Living for Zachary HeartBeats Gala 2015 Living for Zachary Gala video This video was shown at the 2015 Living for Zachary HeartBeats Gala in Dallas, TX.

Part II of Cardiac Terms you should know

How many times have you been to the Doctor and they use words that you have no idea the meaning? You run home and get on your computer as fast as you can and Google the term that you heard. At times, you might even have a tough time spelling them!

At Living for Zachary - we believe that it's imperative that everyone know some basic cardiac medical terms and their meaning. Just in case you might need to know. This is our Part II of Cardiac Medical Terms.

• Balloon valvuloplasty: A procedure performed to open a narrowed heart valve using a thin tube called a catheter with a small balloon at its tip. The catheter is inserted through a small incision in the groin and then threaded up to the opening of the narrowed heart valve. The balloon is then inflated to stretch the valve open and relieve valve obstruction. 
• Bi-leaflet: A valve that has two leaflets that regulate the flow of blood. A normal aortic valve has three leaflets. 
• Calcification: A disease state in which calcium from the blood collects in the body tissues. When this occurs on the leaflets of the heart’s valves, it may cause them to harden and reduce their ability to open and close properly.
• Cardiopulmonary bypass: Bypass of the heart and lungs. During this technique, which is often used during heart surgery, a heart-lung machine temporarily takes over the function of the heart and lungs.
• Catheterization: A procedure in which a thin tube called a catheter is inserted into the body.
• Congestive heart failure: A condition in which the heart cannot pump enough blood to the body's other organs.