On Friday, Feb. 7, Kean University students and staff are invited to support the American Heart Association's ongoing battle against women's heart disease by wearing red in solidarity.
From 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., a National Wear Red Day informational tabling event will be held in the Commuter Resource Center (CRC). The community will be given important information on National Wear Red Day which occurs every year on Feb. 7. This tabling will conclude a series of events leading up to Kean's commemoration of National Wear Red Day. Additionally, an event titled, Yoga for Heart Health, will also be held Friday, Feb. 7 from 3:30 to 4:30 in the CRC.
Prior to National Wear Red Day, a Wear Red Day event transpired on Monday, Feb. 3 in the Center for Academic Success. Succeeding this event, will be an event titled Heart Healthy Snacks in which students can learn about and enjoy small ways to keep their heart healthy. This event will occur Tuesday, Feb. 4 from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the CRC.
Every February is noted as American Heart Month, when the nation stands together to spread awareness of heart disease and raise donations to contribute to research that can save lives. Contributions to the American Heart Association can be made online.
In addition to vocal awareness, your financial contributions and wearing red on Feb. 7, the campaign suggests advocating through social media. In a world of constant media updates and shortened attention spans, we all must band together to lend a louder, wider voice to the American Heart Association's mission: heart disease among women can be beaten by dedicated awareness and help funding more research.
And involvement doesn't end there. Advocates are fighting for initiatives in physical activity, healthy eating, and healthy living that require community organizing and education all over the country, and through legislation in all levels of government. Every person in the country can contribute to the fight just by helping to bring attention to these healthy initiatives.
Heart disease and strokes cause about a third of deaths among women each year, per the American Heart Association. However, optimistically, the Association notes that, even though women are killed by cardiovascular events roughly every 80 seconds, the most efficient combat to heart disease is education. They estimate that 80 percent of heart disease related deaths can be stopped by understanding the nature of the threat and taking action.
To take action to prevent tragedy, everyone should be able to spot the signs of a heart attack. The American Heart Association lists five on their website:
- Uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain in the center of your chest. It lasts more than a few minutes or goes away and comes back.
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
- Shortness of breath with or without chest discomfort.
- Other signs such as breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness.
- As with men, women’s most common heart attack symptom is chest pain or discomfort. But women are somewhat more likely than men to experience some of the other common symptoms, particularly shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
Equally vital is the recognition of the five common symptoms of stroke, also listed on the Association's site:
- Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
- Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
- Sudden trouble seeing or blurred vision in one or both eyes
- Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination
- Sudden severe headache with no known cause
If one experience or witness these symptoms, do not hesitate to call 9-1-1 and proceed to the hospital.
To learn more about the campaign to fight heart disease in women, please visit goredforwomen.org/ and support the cause by wearing red on Feb. 7.
