Healthy Living

When I recently did an Internet search for “cigarette smoking statistics in Connecticut,” I got more than 4 million hits.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website yielded so many statistics my head was soon spinning.

But here are two sentences that put it all in perspective: “Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States. More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.” That’s pretty shocking.

On a more positive note, a recent smoking cessation program held at our hospital — the American Lung Association program, “Freedom From Smoking” — was a great success.

More than half of the 29 people who took the seven-week course reported that they “quit for good.” Most of the others report they significantly cut down on the number of cigarettes smoked in a day. All of the participants in the program found the group support to be very helpful.

For more information about how to participate in this proven American Lung Association program, call (860) 889-8331, ext 6381, and be one of the good statistics.

Andrea Zrenda is a respiratory therapist at The William W. Backus Hospital. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Zrenda or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org

Years ago, a blood pressure of 140/90 was considered normal, but extensive research has provided evidence that this is too high.

The latest guidelines from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health say:

• Normal is 120/80 or less.

• Pre-hypertension is 120-139 systolic (as the heart beats) over 80-89 diastolic (as the heart relaxes between beats).

• Stage 1 hypertension is 140-159 systolic, over 90-100.

• Stage 2 hypertension is 160/100 or higher.

The first step is knowing what your blood pressure is. Backus Hospital conducts free, monthly blood pressure screenings on the third Wednesday of every month from 1-2 p.m. in main lobby conference room 3.

If you have high blood pressure, speak with your healthcare provider about options, which can range from lifestyle changes to pharmaceutical options.

To prevent high blood pressure, cut down on your salt intake, maintain a healthy weight and exercise daily.

These suggestions are small prices to pay, considering that consistently high blood pressure causes stress and ultimately injures the brain, arteries, eyes, kidneys and heart.

Alice Facente is a registered nurse and clinical educator at the The William W. Backus Hospital Education Department. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org

A common misconception is that heart failure is a heart attack. It is not. It also does not mean your heart has stopped or is even about to stop.

But it is a very serious condition. Heart failure results after an injury to the heart causes it to become weakened and pump less effectively. The injury can be sudden such as in the case of some heart attacks or gradual as a result of other chronic illnesses such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity.

Heart failure, previously known as congestive heart failure, is a common but under recognized cardiac disease affecting nearly five million Americans. There will be up to 700,000 new cases diagnosed this year.

Feb. 12-18 is National Heart Failure Awareness Week – the perfect time to learn more about this chronic illness.

Symptoms of heart failure can be remembered by using the acronym FACES; Fatigue, Activities limited, Chest congestion, Edema or ankle swelling and Shortness of breath. If your doctor suspects that you may have heart failure, there are tests that should be ordered to best determine a diagnosis and evaluate the extent of your illness.

There is currently no cure for heart failure but there is good news -- with early diagnosis and proper treatment you can slow the progression of the disease and improve your quality of life. Due to advances in medicine there are more options available today to help treat heart failure than ever before.

People with heart failure should see their health care provider regularly, limit salt intake, weigh themselves daily, take medication exactly as prescribed, and exercise as recommended by your healthcare provider.

For more information visit www.abouthf.org

Cindy Arpin is a registered nurse and Coordinator of the Backus Hospital stroke and congestive heart failure programs. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Arpin or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org

Healthy food can be delicious and nutritious.

When I finally decided to get serious and commit to losing weight, I did a little research.

It seems that there were two things I needed to do: Eat nutritious and healthy food, but control the size of my portions.

Guidelines for portion size were a shock to me: 3 ounces of chicken or meat is the size of a deck of cards? That was only three bites for me!

One portion, or ½ cup, of cooked pasta, is the size of a light bulb. Are they kidding? My bowl of pasta was the size of the whole lamp.

One cup of salad greens = one portion = size of a baseball? I guess I had been eating basketball-sized portions of salad greens.

One portion of salad dressing is the size of a poker chip. I had poured on the salad dressing in an amount equivalent to a stack of poker chips.

Once I accepted that I would have to cut down the size of my usual portions by at least half, I realized I had to weigh and measure my food before eating it.

Then I found it was vital to log in every bit of food I ate. Dianne Rubin, leader of the “ Thin’s In” weight loss program, always says, “You bite it, you write it” and this became my mantra. I wrote down everything I ate in a log with the type of food and measurement. It kept me accountable and honest. It sure was an effective trick: I somehow resisted the urge to overeat when I knew I had to write it down.

The second challenge, making this healthy food delicious and inviting, is just as difficult. We have some help for that with our upcoming program, “Delicious and Nutritious” presented by Backus Registered Dietitian Sarah Hospod.

On Wednesday, Feb. 8 from 6:30-8 p.m, in the Backus main lobby conference rooms, Ms. Hospod will talk about healthy eating, snacking, and portion sizes, and how healthy food can still be delicious and appetizing. Register for the free program by calling 860-889-8331, ext 6381. Come join us and let her show how to make delicious and nutritious eating a reality.

Alice Facente is a registered nurse and clinical educator at the The William W. Backus Hospital Education Department. This column should not replace advice or instruction from your personal physician. If you want to comment on this column or others, visit the Healthy Living blog at www.backushospital.org/backus-blogs or e-mail Ms. Facente or any of the Healthy Living columnists at healthyliving@wwbh.org