Be on lookout for symptoms of heart disease

With Heart Health Awareness Month having drawn to a close on February 28, Blooms The Chemist is urging Central Coast residents to be on the alert for possible symptoms of heart disease

Heart Research Australia has found that deaths from heart disease are two times as high in Australian women than breast cancer, with many episodes occurring without prior warning and symptoms often to those experienced by men.

While men experience wellknown symptoms such as chest pain or discomfort, shortness of breath or nausea, women may experience additional symptoms that can be dismissed as something less sinister, like back, neck or jaw pain, dizziness, fatigue, light headedness and sweating.

A survey conducted by the Heart Foundation Heart Watch found that despite over one third of Australian adults living with high blood pressure, just five per cent of adults nominate that as a key risk factor for heart disease.

While blood pressure may not have any obvious symptoms, it forces the heart to work harder to pump blood to the rest of the body and Coasties are being urged to visit their local pharmacy for regular blood pressure checks.

Luke Owen of Blooms The Chemist at Erina Fair said the pharmacy was getting behind the push for more BP tests.

“Some patients can get anxious about a visit to the doctor and often a pharmacy visit is more comfortable for them,” Owen said.

“Our doctors on the Central Coast are challenged by time constraints and a lot of our customers come in for a BP check on a doctor’s referral, often from GPs who require more regular BP checks for their patients.

“We also have a booking system for customers to arrange a BP test on their own.

“We usually do a string of readings over a number of days – the test is quick and easy and all our team members are trained in the simple, noninvasive procedure.

“We get our customers to sit quietly for a few minutes prior to each test so they have a relaxed heart rate and the results are recorded digitally.”

Owen said while sometimes results are forwarded direct to GPs, it was important for patients to be aware of their BP levels and what they mean so they can take that information to their doctor.

“High blood pressure is one of the main risk factors for heart disease and we particularly encourage regular testing for people with other risk factors such as smoking, being overweight and/or inactive and those who have a diet high in saturated fats or salts,” he said.

“Family history can also be taken into account.”

Owen first started working at Erina in 2017, before the COVID pandemic saw him help Blooms The Chemist nationally for two years prior to his return to Erina last May.

Blooms The Chemist can also make recommendations for lifestyle changes that may support a better blood pressure reading.

Every day, 110 Australians have a heart attack, making it the leading cause of hospitalisation, claiming the lives of 19 people, on average, every day.

To find out more about where blood pressure checks are available see the Blooms The Chemist website.

Terry Collins

Spreading the safety message across Australia

Continuing the legacy created by his dad and uncle when they started their family first aid company, Survival on the Central Coast more than 35 years ago, Mike Tyrrell of North Avoca has taken his young family on the road to ensure all corners of Australia have access to life-saving first aid supplies.

Tyrrell is now CEO of the company, which has its headquarters and warehouse at Erina.

He and his family began their odyssey, the Great Aussie GiveBack, in January and are now travelling around the country to connect with community members and spread Survival’s important safety messages where they are needed most.

Established in response to personal tragedy, Survival is now a globally recognised brand intent on creating a safer world for all.

Tyrell said the Great Aussie Give-Back aims is to continue the principles of giving on which the brand has been built.

“Over the past three decades, Survival has given away more than 50,000 first aid kits and educated countless individuals from Mumbai to Mudgee in proper first aid practices,” he said.

“We also make regular donations of pre-loved kits and first aid supplies to charity organisations and orphanages in Australia and overseas, as well as to first-on-ground emergency responders in all types of disaster situations.

“This trip is about taking my family on the road to help ensure even the remotest parts of our country have access to potentially life-saving first aid resources and education around what to do in an emergency situation, which in many cases could mean the difference between life and death.”

Having pioneered a number of life-saving products, from the award-winning First Aid Emergency Handbook to the

Smart Bandage and Snake Bite Kit, Survival partners with prominent organisations and individuals including Guy Leech, Pat Callinan, Coyote

Peterson and most recently Bondi Rescue’s Anthony ‘Harries’ Carroll, to help share its important safety messages. Throughout 2023, Tyrell, his wife Bianca, and their three young children will be visiting every Australianstate and territory to: give away hundreds of First Aid Kits and Smart Snake Bite Bandages; educate the nation on lifesaving first aid practices, including how to effectively treat a snake bite; partner with likeminded organisations to reach every corner of the country; spread Survival’s safety message; and donate first aid supplies to remote, regional and rural communities.

You can follow the family’s journey on Instagram.

Source: Media release, Feb 27 Survival