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"
Help, I've Fallen And I Can't Get Up "
Why do seniors need Life Alert®?
Every
minute in the U.S., someone experiences a stroke.
4
out of 5 families will be affected by it.
National Stroke Association
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a perfect world, no one would ever have to face a life-threatening
medical, police or fire emergency. However, accidents can
happen to anyone. Since Life Alert can help increase the
speed of response, everyone can benefit from our Medical Emergency
Response System. |
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quicker the paramedics respond to an emergency, the better the chance
of minimizing the risk of permanent damage, disability or even death. The
Journal of the American Heart Association revealed that those who
receive lifesaving, clot-busting therapy within the first hour of
a heart attack can almost triple their chance of survival. |
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seconds can make the difference between life and death, wouldn't you
like to know Life Alert© is there to help you or a loved one
right away? |
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Heart
attack (coronary attack) is the leading cause of death for both
men and women in the United States. In most cases it is caused
by a blood clot forming on a plaque. The clot forms on the plaque
and blocks the artery. It is not known exactly when a plaque
will rupture and cause a clot.
Since heart attack is not sudden, everybody can take steps to
prevent it. Many heart attacks start slowly, as a mild pain
or discomfort. It is important to know the warning signs of
a heart attack to seek medical care as soon as possible. When
medication is given soon enough after the onset of the symptoms
of a heart attack, it can prevent permanent damage to the heart
muscle cells.
Warning signs of a heart attack:
- Chest discomfort
- Chest pain that may radiate to the jaw or left arm
- Shortness of breath
- Sweat, nausea, or light-headedness
If you are not sure it's a heart attack, you should go to the
doctor to check it out. Symptoms may vary, and fast action may
save your life.
Each year, about 1.1 million Americans suffer a heart attack.
About 460,000 of those heart attacks are fatal. About half of
those deaths occur within 1-2 hours of the start of symptoms
and before the person reaches the hospital. The sooner you get
to the emergency room, the better your chance of surviving and
preventing the permanent damage done to your heart. Life
Alert Emergency response allows you to get emergency help right
away, even if you can not reach the telephone.
Men and women are at an increased risk of having a heart attack
if they:
- have pre-existing heart diseases
- have family history of early heart disease
- are over 55
- have high blood pressure
- have high blood cholesterol
- are overweight
- have diabetes
- smoke
You can reduce your risk of having a heart attack with healthy
life style together with moderate exercise. By having Life Alert
Emergency Response at your home, you will be able to get help
quickly and on time - when every second counts! Risk
factors do not add their effects in a simple way. Rather,
they multiply each other's effects. So, it is very important
to prevent or control risk factors that can be modified.
If you have one or more of these factors, see your health
care provider to find out how to reduce your risk of having
a first or repeat heart attack.
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Seizure is a sudden attack, spasm, or convulsion, as in epilepsy.
Symptoms include uncontrollable twitching, blackouts, snorting,
foaming at the mouth, etc. Many different things can cause seizures,
but the most common causes are brain injury, epilepsy, and high
fever. While seizures are a very scary thing to witness, they
can be treated by anyone with correct knowledge on how to administer
first aid to someone with a seizure. Life Alert Emergency
Response helps to get help right away and may prevent falls,
injuries and / or choking.
People are at an increased risk of having a seizure if they
have:
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High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Head trauma
- Tumors |
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Serious infections
- Strokes
- Alzheimer's disease
- Arteriosclerosis |
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You can minimize the risk of getting a seizure if you:
- Lower your blood pressure
- Take care of your heart problems
- Cut back on alcohol
- Consult a doctor before taking or withdrawal of certain
prescription drugs
- Take appropriate medication when you have chronic seizure
disorders such as epilepsy
What to do with seizure victims:
1. Make sure that he / she is away from dangerous and hazardous
objects.
2. Make sure the person can breath easily to avoid choking
as many seizure victims start to vomit or foam at the mouth.
3. Don't restrain the person if he / she is agitated and confused
to avoid aggressive response.
4. Watch the time - if the seizure continues for more than
couple of minutes, medical help is needed.
5. Loosen the victim's clothing and remove items such as eyeglasses,
earrings, etc. When the seizure has ended, let the victim
rest. Check for airway, breathing, and circulation.
6. If the victim is not breathing, perform artificial respirations.
7. Life Alert Emergency Response System is the ideal
service for seizure victims. Help is at the tip of the fingers.
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Stroke
Stroke
is a sudden death of some brain cells due to a lack of oxygen
when the blood flow to the brain is impaired by blockage
or rupture of an artery to the brain. Stroke is a medical
emergency, and if you suspect that you have a stroke, you
need to get to the emergency room as soon as possible for
diagnosis and treatment.
Symptoms
of a stroke depend on the area of the brain affected. The
most common symptoms are:
· Sudden numbness or weakness of face, arm or leg,
especially on one side of the body
· Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
· Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
· Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance
or coordination
· Sudden severe headache with no known cause
A stroke or brain attack occurs when a blood clot blocks
a blood vessel or artery, or when a blood vessel breaks,
interrupting blood flow to an area of the brain. When a
brain attack occurs, it kills brain cells in the immediate
area. This releases chemicals that set off a chain reaction
called "ischemic cascade" which endangers brain
cells in a larger surrounding area of brain tissue. Without
prompt medical treatment (within 6 hours) this larger area
of brain cells will also die. Life Alert Emergency
response allows you to get emergency help right away, even
if you can not reach the telephone or you have trouble speaking.
You
can reduce your risk of possibility of suffering a stroke
by reducing the following risk factors: high blood pressure,
high cholesterol, diabetes, and tobacco use. By having Life
Alert Emergency Response at your home, you will be able
to get help quickly and on time - when every second counts!
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Heart
Murmurs
A
heart murmur is an abnormal sound in the heartbeat that
results from turbulent flow of blood through the heart.
Innocent
heart murmurs
Most heart murmurs are not serious and require no special
treatment other than leading healthy lifestyle. Innocent
heart murmurs are common in children. They are harmless
and usually disappear when a child reaches adulthood.
Valve
Problems
Some of heart murmurs may be the result of underlying heart
condition such as narrowing of heart's valves or a heart
disease. Valve disease occurs when a valve doesn't work
the way it should. If a valve doesn't open all the way,
less blood can move through the smaller opening. If a valve
doesn't close tightly, blood may leak backward. In these
cases, medical care is needed; and if the valve is severely
defective, surgery may be recommended to replace the damaged
valve.
Preventive
measurements:
It's
important to see the doctor regularly to monitor your condition.
Healthy lifestyle, smoke free life, regular exercise and
stress reduction keeps heart murmurs under control.
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