Honor National Heart Month

Let The American Red Cross Teach You How to Save a Life

By Clarice Nassif Ransom, Volunteer

Hundreds of thousands of people die each year in the U.S. due to a sudden heart attack. Heart disease, including coronary, hypertension, and stroke, remains the number one cause of death in the U.S., according to the American Heart Association.

February is National Heart Month, and a good time to learn a new skill that can help save a life. The American Red Cross is a perfect resource. Knowing how to perform CPR and being able to use an automated external defibrillator (AED) during a cardiac emergency are just a few of the many ways you can make a difference.

“Someone who knows how to respond to an emergency is an asset to every household, workplace, and community,” said Richard N. Bradley, MD, Chair of the Red Cross Scientific Council’s Resuscitation Sub-Council, in a 2016 news release.

What do we do?

• Teach CPR Red Cross provides expert and affordable CPR training and certification courses for mandated job requirements or personal use.
• Resource for AED’s Red Cross trains you on how to use an AED and partners with manufacturers to help you receive the devices you need for your workplace, schools, and facilities.
• Host online and classroom courses Red Cross instructs participants on how to identify and respond to cardiac, breathing, and first aid emergencies, including helping someone who is choking, controlling bleeding, and treating heat-and-cold related emergencies.
• Offer the Red Cross First Aid Mobile Application Red Cross enables you to have instant access to information on handling first aid emergencies.

There are also tips for lowering heart disease risk, which include:

• Watch your weight
• Quit smoking and stay away from secondhand smoke
• Control your cholesterol and blood pressure
• If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation
• Get active and eat healthy