Leader0713b

Page 1B • The Leader • July 13, 2013 • www.theleadernews.com

Heat makes the heart work harder. So, while your lawn care and gardening activities might not seem particularly perilous, add sweltering summer heat or a history of cardiovascular disease and you might be pushing up daisies instead of weeding them. Internist Van Tran, a primary care physician afﬁliated with Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital, says his family medicine practice notes – and treats --more car-

diovascular incidents as the temperature rises. Not all cardiovascular incidents are heart attacks, Dr. Tran says, but the symptoms could be clues that a patient’s underlying heart health needs medical attention, possible intervention -- and better prevention.

Temperature control

Maintaining the body’s optimal 98.6-degree temperature can tax the heart in extreme weather – hot or cold. When dissipat-

AHA estimates the annual heart attack rate at one every 34 seconds. Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says about 800,000 individuals a year have their ﬁrst heart attack. Heat can multiply such underlying heart attack risk factors as family history and diabetes as well as lifestyle related factors such as smoking, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, physical inactivity and obesity, Tran says.

Prevention, attention, intervention

He recommends that his patients have an annual stress test, which will push the heart rate up to 85 percent of the maximum rate --- about 130 to 140 beats per minute – in a controlled environment. An annual EKG can be another baseline tool to have on hand should there be a cardiovascular incident down the line. Tran also urges individuals to establish a relationship with a primary care physician who can monitor any patterns and factors that might also be contributing to cardiovascular health. As with other health conditions, a healthy lifestyle – meaning good nutrition and exercise habits – can also help reduce the chances of cardiac stress – with or without the heat. And if you do experience symptoms of cardiac distress, call 9-1-1. Minutes can matter in getting life-saving medical attention, the AHA says. Don’t let the ﬁrst sign of cardiovascular disease be the ﬁnal one.

In 2009 Candlelight Place’s Donda Dye suffered a stroke from a twisted artery. She calls her survival miraculous but was left with a weakness in the left side and a brain injury resulting in balance issues. A practitioner of yoga in the past, she saw an ad a year ago in The Leader for free Chair Yoga at Memorial Hermann Northwest. “Chair Yoga caught my eye because you get the same benefits of yoga but without the danger of falling,” said Dye. “Besides learning relaxation techniques, I’ve also learned great breathing techniques for healing and cleansing inside issues, too, which I’d not learned elsewhere.” The Chair Yoga class at Memorial Hermann Northwest started in March of 2012 and was the brainchild of Angela Sisk, R.N., a certified Yoga Nurse. Yoga Nursing is a new accredited movement in healthcare and nursing which blends ancient yoga and modern nursing to relieve SAPS (stress, anxiety, pain and suffering). It was created by Annette Tersigni, a yoga instructor and R.N. Each class involves breathing exercises, gentle movement, and relaxation. Benefits include decreased blood pressure, improved mood, reduced depression, stress reduction and increased mobility. Although the class is open to anyone who wants to attend, many of the participants are cancer patients or cancer survivors. Shirley Cato is a breast and lung cancer survivor who has been volunteering for the past 20 years with the American Cancer Society’s program “Reach to Recovery” which serves breast cancer patients. For the past three years Cato has been a volunteer at Memorial Hermann Northwest Hospital in their cancer center. That’s where she heard about Chair Yoga. “I do everything possible to keep my immune system up. The Chair Yoga and meditation I find essential for my well being,” she said. Laura Hollingsworth is currently being treated for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and has two more chemotherapy treatments to go. In addition to the discomfort from her port, she also experiences rib pain as the result of a car accident she and her husband had on the way home from the hospital. She says the breathing exercises help her pain.

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by Betsy Denson betsy@theleadernews.com

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Recovery through chair yoga

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Dr. Van Tran performs a circulation test on a patient at Memorial Hermann Northwest. (Submitted Photo)

Chest pain -- or “discomfort” as the American Heart Association calls it -- can mean pressure, squeezing, or tightness that lasts more than several minutes or that comes and goes and returns. Other warning symptoms include shortness of breath or excessive sweat, nausea or light-headedness. (A racing heart beat could indicate heat exhaustion, another summer health issue.) Despite its common portrayal in media as a sudden onset of chest- or arm-clutching pain, a heart attack might actually begin slowly, with symptoms building their intensity and frequency. Symptoms in women trend more toward

Serious as a heart attack

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Symptom rundown

shortness of breath, nausea and back or jaw pain, AHA’s website says. Some symptoms might also indicate other health conditions, such as acid reﬂux or even anxiety attacks, Tran says, which is why it’s important to seek medical care quickly and not second-guess the diagnosis and treatment. “Better safe than sorry,” he says.

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ing the body’s extra heat, for example, the blood vessels dilate. The heart beats faster to handle the same amount of blood circulation. The body burning calories this way further increases the heart’s workload, Tran explains, which raises blood pressure. Heat also triggers perspiration, which can lead to dehydration. Dehydration further complicates the body’s efforts to dissipate heat, he says, since it decreases the volume of blood needing to circulate, which also makes the heart pump harder. Individuals with existing cardiovascular disease can be more susceptible to heatinduced heart incidents, Tran says. Ditto the elderly or individuals on beta blockers (which can affect the heart rate) and diuretics (which reduce water retention). Heat can fool people with or without underlying cardiovascular sensitivities, Tran says. He sometimes treats young athletes who “think they can handle it” and don’t take mitigating precautions, such as shade, water breaks and being active outdoors when it’s not the heat of the day. More often, though, he hears from the 50-somethings who experience chest pains while cutting their lawns and wonder if they’re having a heart attack.

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Heat waves can be hard on the heart

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On a recent Monday, Sisk led the group through combinations of eight essential postures over an hourlong period. In addition to the exercise, participants also appreciate her demeanor. “Angela is so calming and encouraging I feel very relaxed and a bit cocooned from the fast pace of life,” said Dye. “She has taught me the importance of slowing down and listening to my body. That hour is much needed in our lives full of hustle and bustle.” “People hear yoga and are totally intimidated, but anybody can do this,” said Sisk. “It’s easy and effective.” Sisk will soon be teaching other nurses about Yoga Nursing and how to relieve SAPS in themselves and their patients. “I want to teach nurses how they can use yoga in a healthcare setting,” she said. The class is held every Monday from 2-3 p.m. in South Tower, Classroom F. Classes are free, and parking is validated. Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable clothes and to bring a towel and water. For more information, call 713-867-2062.

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Angela Sisk leads a Chair Yoga class. (Photo by Betsy Denson)

Historic Community. Legendary Care.

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D’Evelynn Montgomery, Laura Hollingsworth and teacher Angela Sisk.

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(Photo by Betsy Denson)

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