According to the American Heart Association, one in three women dies of heart disease or stroke each year. To help fight the high rate of heart-related deaths, every February the American Heart Association directs their attention to awareness days and campaigns that teach the general public about the importance of adopting behaviors that lead to improved heart health. February 6 is National Wear Red Day and the health professionals from NurseWise – a multilingual nurse triage and health education provider – are encouraging Americans of all ages and genders to wear red in support of the American Heart Association’s quest to decrease avoidable heart issues.
"At NurseWise we believe in and continuously promote health education and empowerment," said Kim Tuck, RN, President and Chief Executive Officer at NurseWise. "In the United States, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women. We encourage everyone to wear red on Friday, February 6, to increase awareness about heart health and behaviors that can easily be adopted to reduce the chance of developing heart disease, stroke and other serious heart conditions."
To help you remember, the nurses at NurseWise have created a set of health tips in honor of National Wear Red Day using the acronym “HEART.”
H – Have heart awareness. Know your status! Make, schedule and KEEP routine appointments with your medical provider to stay abreast of your specific heart-health status and to learn warning signs that might indicate the need for specialized medications, lifestyle changes or testing. Knowing your heart stats and family predispositions for diseases of the heart is the first step in achieving more informed and improved heart health.
E – Exercise regularly. Your heart is a muscle, and just like the rest of the muscles in your body, it needs regular exercise to operate at its best. Start small by adding a short, slow-paced 10- or 15-minute walk to your day at least twice a week. Ask your medial professional for exercise recommendations based on your health status.
A – Always side with safe over sorry. You know your body better than anyone. If you start noticing an irregular-heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, frequent headaches, impaired vision, tingling in your left arm or short memory lapses, see a medical professional immediately. Never hesitate to see a doctor if you notice a change in the way you feel or notice an abnormality in your breathing or heart rate. Seeing a medical provider could save your life and uncover budding health conditions before they become serious health conditions.
R – Rest is essential. Getting seven to eight hours of sleep on a regular basis is essential to your health. Despite your busy schedule and long list of things to do, if you aren’t getting proper rest, you will stifle your body’s ability to repair itself during the sleep cycle. Find a sleep routine that works to help you get to sleep at a set time every day so your body can perform its natural healing processes.
T – Take time to decompress. Stress is a leading factor that contributes to conditions like high-blood pressure and stroke. Explore exercise and breathing techniques to help you find calm even in the midst of a busy workplace and personal schedule. If stress ever becomes overwhelming or your feel like you’re going to do something to hurt yourself or someone else, please call 9-1-1 right away to speak with someone who can get you the help you need. There’s no need to ashamed of stress. Every animal and human experiences it in some form, because stress is a natural function of the body. How you treat stress is what makes the difference in your quality of mental and physical health. There are techniques, medications and homeopathic remedies that can help you find the balance you need to keep your heart and body functioning at their best.
For more information about National Wear Red Day, please visit: https://www.goredforwomen.org/home/get-involved/national-wear-red-day/
About NurseWise
NurseWise is a wholly owned subsidiary of Centene Corporation that is in the business of providing multilingual telehealth (nurse triage and health education) services. For more information, please visit our website at www.nursewise.com or contact us at info@nursewise.com.
