THUMB REGION — According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, causing approximately one in four deaths.

February is heart month and National Wear Red Day was Friday, Feb. 7. The staff of McLaren Thumb Region participated by wearing red to spread awareness about this, sometimes silent killer.

“On Friday, everyone wore red (The Sea of Red)” Certified Medical Assistant Heather James said. “We wore red for woman. Most of the hospital dressed to spread awareness. Basically, it is just trying to get people not to ignore symptoms. It is always better to come in to get checked out and have it be nothing. This time of year people will shovel snow and they just think that they are tired but really the extra exertion has caused a heart attack they ignored.”

Nurse Practioner Beth Britt specializes in cardiology at McLaren and discussed the symptoms women may experience; symptoms that could be generalized as fatigue, tiredness, or simply not feeling well.

“It is important for women to recognize the dominant typical signs and symptoms of a heart attack might not be the typical crushing chest pain, pressure, numbness in the left arm or pain in the upper jaw,” Britt said.

Britt said it is to follow up with a primary care doctor if risk factors exist.

The CDC states that heart disease refers to several types of heart conditions, most commonly coronary artery disease. Coronary artery disease upsets the blood flow to the heart. A decrease in blood flow can cause a heart attack.

Further, the CDC explains that heart disease can often go undiagnosed. Symptoms of a heart attack may include chest discomfort, upper back or neck pain, indigestion, heartburn, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, upper body aches, dizziness, and shortness of breath. Arrhythmia refers to palpitations or the fluttering feeling in the chest. Symptoms of heart failure are shortness of breath, fatigue, or swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins.

Dr. Gassan Alaouie is the cardiology specialist at McLaren. He strongly advises people to see their primary care physician if they notice any change in normal activity or health.

“Any symptoms of chest pain, shortness of breath, or limitations in physical activity are all things to warn people,” Alaouie said. “Patients don’t come to us first and say they need a stress test. It doesn’t work that way. It has to come from a general practitioner.”

Alaouie explained that further examination will be conducted if the practitioner notices any symptoms of concern, such as shortness of breath, passing out, chest pain, heart racing, limitations in psychical activity and fatigue. A referral will be given if risk factors are also present.

“Risk factors, such as high blood pressure, family history of heart disease and heart attack, diabetes, high cholesterol are things that tend to raise flags and warrant further testing,” Alaouie said.

The CDC states that high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, and smoking are all risk factors for heart disease. It has been confirmed that about half of Americans, up to 47%, experience at least one of these risk factors. Also putting people at higher risk for heart disease include diabetes, obesity, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity, and excessive alcohol usage.

“One of the problems we are facing as a society is less exercise,” Alalouie said. “There is a lot of dependence on processed foods and unhealthy behaviors, such as smoking and vaping.”

He said it is important to maintain a healthy balanced lifestyle. Recommendations are to exercise, obtain a sufficient amount of sleep, complete wellness checks, don't ignore symptoms, and be mindful of any family history that could indicate the predisposition to heart conditions.

“Always be on alert for symptoms,” he said. “You used to be able to walk out to get your mail. All of a sudden you are getting tired. You don’t feel like getting your mail. You blame it on getting older. These could be hidden signs that there could be change going on and that it’s not necessarily an age thing. There are people in there 40s that have heart attacks, people in thier 30s and sometimes 20s (rarely).”

The heart doctor reiterated that the best way to avoid heart related problems is to take changes in physical health and activity seriously.

“All of a sudden you realized you aren’t walking as much because you get tired or you don’t want to go upstairs,” Alaouie said. “You blame it on getting older. These could be signs that maybe you need a stress test to see why you’ve had the change. Let’s see the health of the heart. Lets get an ultrasound of the heart and see how the valves are functioning. If you have a strong family history then maybe you are having the same genetic problem.”

After conducting the appropriate heart studies, Alaouie will decide what treatment is necessary. Treatments could entail ablations, atrial fibrillation treatment, or coronary angiography.

According to McLaren, an ablation is a procedure where catheters are placed in the heart. RF energy is then delivered through the catheter to the abnormal heart tissue causing an irregular heartbeat. The cardiac cells will be neutralized, so that the electrical impulses can no longer cross.

Atrial Fibrillation Treatment could include medications to control heart rhythm, heart rate and blood clotting. This could also mean implanting devices, like pacemakers. Catheter ablation or surgical ablation may be performed.

Coronary Angiography visualizes the heart’s blood vessels. A catheter is used to inject a dye into the vessels to be seen by X-ray.

Alaouie and his medical team stressed the importance of a follow-up after any of these procedures. The Cardiac Rehabilitation program at McLaren delivers cardiac patients the education, experience and practical knowledge to return to their normal lives.

This could mean exercise programs designed to reduce symptoms. Monitored personalized exercise classes and educational experiences are provided to help patients control their heart issues and make the crucial changes necessary.