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Historically, heart disease was thought to be a sickness of color, and as time progressed, that thought seemed to have shifted. However, a majority of heart attacks still exist in the African American race, and some doctors suggest that the reason is due to hereditary factors. The amount of greasy food sometimes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on top of arteriosclerosis (hardness of the arteries), and atherosclerosis (plaque build-up in the arteries) proved to be an affecting cause of the progression of heart disease. Eating greasy food was not only the type of food consumed by African Americans. It was the kind of food consumed by all races because it tastes so good.
Heart disease is no longer a disease of color. African Americans are living longer because many have improved their lifestyle and are determined to exercise three times per week. For those who do not exercise, discovering discomfort in the chest, arms, or neck could be the predetermining factor of early or latent problems. For other nationalities who live a sedentary lifestyle, defining heart disease may be more prominent. But what about women?
For women, heart disease could be blatant or may sneak up on them like a thief in the night. Their symptoms could present just like men where pain, breathing problems, and aches are predominant. At other times, the heart attack that women have may present symptoms that are vague as they go through life. Yet, sometimes the symptoms are so vague that the victim drops in their footsteps. The victim may be found without a pulse as they lay on their bed. This type of cardiac arrest is similar to that of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) but is different because we know why the adult’s heart stopped. The relationship to both pertains to the acute interruption in perfusion.
With skin color (melena), scientists found that heart disease is hereditary with diabetes, stroke, and other diseases, such as sickle cell taking the lead. African Americans may find that diabetes, stroke, and sickle cell is in their family tree. However, other races may find the same, but science has contributed much of these diseases to social-economic living. People with low income or are close in proximity, such as many family members living in the same house, increases the likelihood of diseases spreading, specifically Tuberculosis (TB).
No matter what the reason for the cardiac arrest or stroke, the need to respond to them relies on a person who has the will and capability to step in to make a difference. Skin color should never be a deterring factor on when someone will help another. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is the answer and is easily learned. When CPR is started rapidly (without delay), the chances of a person surviving improves greatly. Therefore, all family members, as well as coworkers, cousins, nieces, nephews, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and acquaintances, need to know how to do it. Sometimes, children suffer from cardiac arrest.
When a child suffers a cardiac arrest, the primary cause is due to respiratory arrest. Respiratory arrest is when the breathing stops, but the heart continues. If the breathing stops for more than six to eight minutes in some children, the heart will stop beating. Even more, the heart does tend to stop when there are anomalies that interrupt the flow of blood to various parts of the heart. Some children have heart disease that is not related to smoking, drinking alcohol, or living a sedentary lifestyle. These children who deal with heart disease are special to children’s hospitals who are constantly involved in research to make them better or prevent it. Unfortunately, the cause of these children with heart disease is related to the type of lifestyle that the mother had while carrying the baby in utero. The mother may have had medical problems herself or may have been an Intravenous (IV) drug abuser. Those drugs used can cross the placental barrier and affect the unborn child to the point of abnormality, brain, organs, or heart disease.
Regardless of what the reason may be for the child who suffers from cardiac arrest, the emergency procedure to help them involves CPR. Therefore, it is advisable for all people, adults, teenagers, and even children to learn it. Children who suffer cardiac arrest did not ask for it. Adults who suffer cardiac arrest because of their type of lifestyle are aware of the ultimate consequences. If they are not, the CPR class is available for them.
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Ennis is an Advance Life Support caregiver providing emergency care, training, motivating and educating on a national level for over 35 years with strong concentration and enormous success in business consultation, motivational and safety speaking, minor project management and customer service management. Ennis has been a Supervisor and Associate Supervisor in California, Okinawa Japan, and S. Korea with experience in leading teams and managing large groups of personnel.
More articles by the writer
Historically, heart disease was thought to be a sickness of color, and as time progressed, that thought seemed to have shifted. However, a majority of heart attacks still exist in the African American race, and some doctors suggest that the reason is due to hereditary factors. The amount of greasy food sometimes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on top of arteriosclerosis (hardness of the arteries), and atherosclerosis (plaque build-up in the arteries) proved to be an affecting cause of the progression of heart disease. Eating greasy food was not only the type of food consumed by African Americans. It was the kind of food consumed by all races because it tastes so good.
Heart disease is no longer a disease of color. African Americans are living longer because many have improved their lifestyle and are determined to exercise three times per week. For those who do not exercise, discovering discomfort in the chest, arms, or neck could be the predetermining factor of early or latent problems. For other nationalities who live a sedentary lifestyle, defining heart disease may be more prominent. But what about women?
For women, heart disease could be blatant or may sneak up on them like a thief in the night. Their symptoms could present just like men where pain, breathing problems, and aches are predominant. At other times, the heart attack that women have may present symptoms that are vague as they go through life. Yet, sometimes the symptoms are so vague that the victim drops in their footsteps. The victim may be found without a pulse as they lay on their bed. This type of cardiac arrest is similar to that of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) but is different because we know why the adult’s heart stopped. The relationship to both pertains to the acute interruption in perfusion.
With skin color (melena), scientists found that heart disease is hereditary with diabetes, stroke, and other diseases, such as sickle cell taking the lead. African Americans may find that diabetes, stroke, and sickle cell is in their family tree. However, other races may find the same, but science has contributed much of these diseases to social-economic living. People with low income or are close in proximity, such as many family members living in the same house, increases the likelihood of diseases spreading, specifically Tuberculosis (TB).
No matter what the reason for the cardiac arrest or stroke, the need to respond to them relies on a person who has the will and capability to step in to make a difference. Skin color should never be a deterring factor on when someone will help another. Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is the answer and is easily learned. When CPR is started rapidly (without delay), the chances of a person surviving improves greatly. Therefore, all family members, as well as coworkers, cousins, nieces, nephews, parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and acquaintances, need to know how to do it. Sometimes, children suffer from cardiac arrest.
When a child suffers a cardiac arrest, the primary cause is due to respiratory arrest. Respiratory arrest is when the breathing stops, but the heart continues. If the breathing stops for more than six to eight minutes in some children, the heart will stop beating. Even more, the heart does tend to stop when there are anomalies that interrupt the flow of blood to various parts of the heart. Some children have heart disease that is not related to smoking, drinking alcohol, or living a sedentary lifestyle. These children who deal with heart disease are special to children’s hospitals who are constantly involved in research to make them better or prevent it. Unfortunately, the cause of these children with heart disease is related to the type of lifestyle that the mother had while carrying the baby in utero. The mother may have had medical problems herself or may have been an Intravenous (IV) drug abuser. Those drugs used can cross the placental barrier and affect the unborn child to the point of abnormality, brain, organs, or heart disease.
Regardless of what the reason may be for the child who suffers from cardiac arrest, the emergency procedure to help them involves CPR. Therefore, it is advisable for all people, adults, teenagers, and even children to learn it. Children who suffer cardiac arrest did not ask for it. Adults who suffer cardiac arrest because of their type of lifestyle are aware of the ultimate consequences. If they are not, the CPR class is available for them.
Vlad Magdalin
