BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. (WBOY) -- United Hospital Center (UHC) is helping spread information regarding heart health throughout February for National Heart Month. According to Registered Nurse Cheryl Farley, February is the month that everybody associates with the heart, especially because of Valentine's Day.
The hospital held an event Tuesday morning that featured a large inflatable human heart, that attendees were able to walk through. Numerous reading materials were also handed out, along with an informational display labeled "Know Your Numbers."
"Heart disease is the number one killer in America, so we want to raise awareness because it is also preventable," Farley said. "So we want people to start taking care of their heart before they have a problem."
Some preventable measures that can help keep your heart healthy include exercising, dieting, as well as knowing your numbers as they relate to blood pressure and cholesterol. Farley also advised people to see their primary care doctor at least once a year for a regular check-up and to get any necessary testing done.
Farley stated that in the Cardiac Rehab department, her team talks a lot about risk factors, adding that people with more risk factors have a higher risk of developing heart disease. She said tobacco users have the highest risk of developing heart disease, and a family history of heart complications also can increase your risk of having an issue down the line.
"High cholesterol numbers, high blood pressure increases your risk for heart disease and stroke," Farley told 12 News. "So what we wanna do is have people recognize those risk factors and be able to control those. A lot of them are modifiable, and diet and exercise are the key components that will help reduce your risk."
Farley has been a nurse for over 45 years and has worked at UHC for nearly 33 years, with 29 years spent as the manager of Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab. During that time, she's seen "hundreds and hundreds" of patients go through UHC's program, which is designed to help people recover after a heart-related incident.
"So if they have a stint put in or open heart surgery, then we take care of them and help them through recovery quicker and have a long-term recovery better than if they tried to do this on their own," she added.
With that in mind, Farley said it's wonderful to see people care about the heart and take things seriously because their goal at UHC is to have a healthy community. "People will be able to see this big [inflatable] heart and walk through it, and maybe that's gonna get them thinking about what can I do to make my lifestyle a little bit more healthy?"
Farley stated that it's also very important for people to know the symptoms of a heart attack. A few that she mentioned include pressure, pain and/or tightness in your chest, especially if the feelings radiate into your jaw, arms and back.
Shortness of breath and chronic fatigue are also potential signs of a heart attack. Farley added that women and diabetics may not have the same crushing chest pain as men do, so it's important to be mindful of more subtle symptoms such as chronic fatigue, extreme fatigue and shortness of breath.
On the topic of heart disease, Friday, Feb. 7 is also "Go Red for Women Day," which aims to raise awareness of women and heart disease. "Women typically don't have the same symptoms as men when they have a heart problem so, we want women to know that they do in fact develop heart disease and they can have a heart attack," Farley said.
UHC will be bringing its National Heart Month display to The Bridge Sports Complex on Feb. 5 and 11. On Feb. 19, it will move the event over to the Meadowbrook Mall.