Health department talks heart health for Valentine’s Day

ZANESVILLE, Ohio– You may see paper hearts, chocolates and roses but the most heartfelt gift you can give this Valentine’s Day, is to get your heart health checked.

February is American Heart Month and the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department wants to remind people of the dangers of high stress levels and how they can lead to heart attacks.

“We have stressors in life, that’s just a natural part of life so we just encourage folks to think about ways to relieve stress and also encourage others in their lives to relieve stress as well,” said Jessica Stonecypher, health educator at the Zanesville-Muskingum County Health Department.

Heart disease is the number one killer of Americans, but is also known as the silent killer. Instead of medications and clinical treatments, Stonecypher suggested simpler steps such as exercise, meditation or finding your own path to stress relief by listening to your body.

“We encourage folks to pay attention to their bodies listen to themselves if they notice something feels off then you know obviously see a doctor but mindfulness is something that’s just really important,” said Stonecypher. “It can not only help with your heart but other parts of your life and your health as well.”

Some of the common warning signs of heart attack are pain or discomfort in your chest and arm, shortness of breath and nausea or vomiting.

For a full list of tips and facts about heart disease, you can visit the health department’s website www.zmchd.org.