American Heart Month: February Means Heart Disease Awareness!

by Janice Forostiak, Marketing Department

February means Valentine's Day and chocolate hearts for the romantics among us, but did you know that it is also recognized as American Heart Month by the American Heart Association? Following is some great information to pass along to friends and family. We hope you'll take it to heart!

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. The month of February is dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease and increasing knowledge about prevention. Educate yourself on the dangers of heart disease and get on track to better heart health here!

Recognize the Signs and Symptoms of Heart Attacks and Strokes!Globally, cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of adult death – far exceeding cancer, respiratory disease, and infectious diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria – even in developing countries. The risk factors for cardiovascular disease are many and include:
• Men > 40 Years - High Blood Pressure
• Women > 50 Years - High Cholesterol
• Obesity - Menopause
• Sedentary Lifestyle -Tobacco Smoking
• Diabetes

Cardiovascular disease has been identified as a major contributing factor to many cases of cardiac arrest, heart attack and stroke.

Sudden Cardiac Arrest – Each year in the United States alone, sudden cardiac arrest accounts for more than 350,000 deaths – almost 1000 deaths per day. Sudden cardiac arrest occurs when a patient’s heart suddenly stops beating normally. This causes blood and oxygen to stop flowing to the brain. If the brain is deprived of oxygen for 4-6 minutes, it will begin to die. Once brain death occurs, the patient can no longer be saved. However, if bystanders recognize cardiac arrest and begin CPR immediately, their chest compressions can reestablish blood flow to the brain, preventing brain death and buying the patient valuable time.

Immediate initiation of CPR and use of an AED within 3-5 minutes may increase the victim’s survival rate to over 80%!!

Heart Attack Symptoms (blockage in a blood vessel in the heart) • Chest pain – dull, crushing, burning
• Back Pain – upper or lower
• Pain in either arm
• Pain that radiates from one area to another – ie. Back or chest to neck and/or jaw
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Shortness of breath or trouble breathing
• Cold, clammy sweat
• Feeling of fullness or indigestion
• Mental distraction or “disconnect”
• Increased foot or hand pain (diabetics)
• Denial

1. Always call 911 for any suspected heart attack – time is critical!
2. Have the patient sit comfortably or lie down and rest.
3. Ask the patient to cough forcefully at regular intervals.
4. If the patient is conscious, can swallow and is not allergic to aspirin, have him/her chew and swallow one 325mg aspirin tablet (or four 81 mg baby aspirin)
5. Be prepared to start the steps of CPR and use an AED

Stroke Symptoms (blockage in a blood vessel or bleeding into the brain) • Loss of balance
• Paralysis or loss of muscle control on one side of the body
• Facial droop
• Slurred, unintelligible or inappropriate speech
• Altered mental status
• Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
• Blurred vision
• Eye Pain

1. Always call 911 for a suspected stroke! Treatments must begin within 3 hours of the first onset of symptoms.
2. Never administer aspirin if a stroke is suspected.
3. Be prepared to start the steps of CPR and use an AED.


For more heart-healthy tips from the American Heart Association, go to www.heart.org.

Make Resolution to be Financially AND Physically Fit!

by Janice Forostiak, Marketing Department

One of the best things about starting off a new year is the chance to start over. There's something about the beginning of the year that gets everyone moving. At Signal Financial, we're going to start fresh with our blog, and bring you some behind-the-scenes thoughts on financial matters, as well as other timely topics.

Signal Financial currently publishes "Healthy Signals," our in-house newsletter where we explore health topics that many of us want to know more about. We'd like to share with members and friends some of these informative articles each month (in addition to financial tidbits) so that you can also stay on top of your physical well-being. Who would argue that all-things health related eventually have an affect on your financial position? One illness or accident can be very expensive to treat, so it's important to plan for emergencies -- any type! -- to ensure your family's security.

Despite snowstorms, polar vortexes and other weather annoyances, we were thrilled to participate in the NBC4 Health & Fitness Expo on January 11-12 in DC. This annual event promotes physical as well as financial fitness. Area credit unions partnered with SavvyMoney.com -- a website dedicated to help you get out of debt -- to bring consumer expert Jean Chatzky to the expo to offer free financial check-ups. Ms. Chatzky is the author of "Money Rules: The Simple Path to Lifelong Security," an excellent, easy-to-read book with no-nonsense tips on managing your finances. Careful planning and following some simple rules will get you started. Here are a few:

* Live below your means. Period. Don’t live on what you make . . . live on LESS THAN what you make. You can’t spend every dime and save money at the same time. Aim to save 10 - 15% of your paycheck for the future. Then take pride in your accomplishment!

* Credit cards don't have to equal debt. Credit cards aren't evil -- if you charge what you can afford and pay the bill off each month, they're a great tool to keep a good credit score as well as to earn frequent flier miles, reward points, and more. Discipline is key.

* Use your emergency savings for emergencies. Refrigerators go kaput. Medical bills come up. The car needs repairs. Don’t put these unavoidable expenses on credit cards; use your emergency fund. Then replenish your emergency fund.

* There’s no such thing as chump change. $100 is not a lot of money. But if you save it every week, invest it in a retirement account with a conservative rate of 6%, keep doing it for 30 years, then you’ll have over $400,000! In 40 years, you’ll have twice that! Now THAT is a lot of money!

These are only a few of the many great and simple ways to manage your money. You can get a copy of Money Rules at Amazon.com or in most bookstores.

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Enjoy this blog? Tune in next week when we'll feature some great tips to kick off Heart-Healthy month.