| Learn to recognize heart disease, signs of emergency Heart attacks, strokes leading cause of death among CBP employees By Health and Wellness Branch, SAFE Division, Office of Human Resources Management | Coronary-related disease—including heart attack and stroke—is the leading killer of U.S. Customs and Border Protection employees, according to CBP’s Office of Human Resources Management. Does this mean that CBP is a particularly stressful place to work? Not necessarily, says HRM. Coronary disease is the leading cause of death among the American population overall. Middle-aged women make up nearly half of all cases, contrary to the popular belief that it primarily targets men and the elderly.In all, 950,000 Americans die every year from heart attacks and strokes. Startlingly, almost half of these deaths take place before the victim ever reaches the hospital—within one hour of the start of symptoms. Therefore, recognizing the symptoms and getting help quickly are critical to survival in case of an attack. Here are some tips from CBP’s Health and Wellness Branch, which is located in the Safety and Assistance for Employees (SAFE) Division of the Office of Human Resources Management. Individuals experiencing these symptoms, or who witness someone experiencing these symptoms, should call 911 right away. Heart attack:- Chest discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts for more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back (can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness, or pain);
- Discomfort in other areas of the upper body that can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw, or stomach;
- Shortness of breath (often associated with chest discomfort, but can also occur without it);
- Cold sweat;
- Nausea;
- Light-headedness.
Stroke:- Numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, especially on one side of the body;
- Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding;
- Trouble seeing in one or both eyes;
- Trouble walking due to dizziness, loss of balance or coordination;
- Severe headache with no known cause.
Heart disease is only one of many topics addressed by CBP’s Health and Wellness Branch, located within the SAFE Division in the Office of Human Resources Management. The office regularly distributes health education materials to all CBP employees, including nutrition and wellness information, self-assessments, and health risk calculators. To access these, go to the CBPnet home page, click on “Employee Services,” and then select “Health and Wellness.”The impact of heart disease:- Approximately 61 million Americans (almost one-fourth of the population) have it.
- Six million Americans are hospitalized each year because of it.
- It’s a leading cause of premature, permanent disability among working adults.
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To learn more:- American Heart Association, www.americanheart.org;
- Centers for Disease Control, www.cdc.gov/nccdphp;
- The American Stroke Association, www.strokeassociation.org.
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