Sweet Heart – Affairs of the Heart

/in , , , /by

 

heart health

What, actually, is the definition of “heart”? Technically, it is a hollow muscular organ of vertebrate animals, that by its rhythmic contraction acts as a forceful pump maintaining the circulation of the blood. But get out a dictionary and it’s defined as a lot more:

  • The graphic symbol doodled and represented from the time we’re old enough to get crayons in our hands
  • A suit of playing cards that can get people in trouble if they bet on them showing up in a five-card flush
  • A personality, as in such a cold heart
  • A generous disposition, such as a person with heart
  • Our innermost character or feelings… a man after my own heart
  • Grabbing your chest as in be still my heart
  • This being Valentines, let’s not forget love and affection, such as won her heart

It’s even an idiom wonder:

Cross my heart. Whole hearted. Sick at heart. Have a heart. Have your heart set on. Even artichoke hearts.  Get the idea?

But let’s get to the heart we should be most concerned with.

Your Most Significant Other

Our hearts are what pump life into us. But they can also take it away. The fact is, heart disease is now our No. 1 killer with more women dying of it than men. Enough said.

Jeez, the Jargon

More than a muscle, the heart is a puzzle, a complex whirling bedlam of interconnected parts that all depend on each other. It’s hard, or nearly impossible for us to understand everything that’s involved. Its physiology alone, can sound like scary gibberish:

  • Ventricles
  • Pericardium
  • Myocardium
  • Endocardium
  • Arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD)
  • Angioplasty
  • Atherosclerosis
  • Pericarditis
  • Saphenous vein
  • Tachycardia
  • Mitral stenosis
  • Superior and inferior venae cavae
  • Sinoatrial node

And you thought antidisestablishmentarianism was a tough one.

The Tic, Tic, Tic of Your Ticker

There are some things about your heart that can be explained in plain English. They’re actually pretty informative and even fascinating.

  • A human heart is roughly the size of a large fist
  • Your heart pumps 60-80 times a minute, 100,000 times a day and 3 billion times over the course of a lifetime
  • The heart weighs between 10 to 12 ounces in men and 8 to 10 ounces in women
  • The heart pumps blood to almost all of the body’s 75 trillion cells. Only the corneas receive no blood supply
  • A kitchen faucet would need to be turned on all the way for at least 45 years to equal the amount of blood pumped by the heart in an average lifetime
  • Because the heart has its own electrical impulse, it can continue to beat even when separated from the body, as long as it has an adequate supply of oxygen
  • Every day, the heart creates enough energy to drive a truck 20 miles. In a lifetime, that is equivalent to driving to the moon and back
  • Some heavy snorers may have a condition called obtrusive sleep apnea (OSA), which can negatively affect the heart
  • Christiaan Barnard (November 1922 – September 2001), was a South African cardiac surgeon who performed the world’s first successful human-to-human heart transplant
  • French physician Rene Laennec (1781-1826) invented the stethoscope when he felt it was inappropriate to place his ear on his large-buxom female patients’ chests in order to listen to their hearts. We couldn’t resist adding this one.

Heart and Soul

What’s to love about feeling out of whack all over? Anxiety. Fatigue. Sleep problems.

What’s going on? Usually you attribute these things to something else, when in fact, it could be that your hormones are out of balance. Which can make your whole life feel out of balance. Hormones can become unbalanced anytime throughout your life regardless of age or sex. But here’s something you’ll love; at Denver Hormone Health, Dr. Stephan A. Goldstein can get you going full speed again. With his unparalleled experience and expertise in the field of Hormone Replacement, he knows just what to do. Simple tests will tell him what’s really going on, and from there, he creates a treatment tailored exactly to resolve your problems. Give yourself the valentine of feeling your best and call for an appointment now.

One visit and you’ll know his heart’s in the right place.

I resolve… to be good to myself.

/in , /by

EVERYONE NEEDS SOMEONE TO LOVE.

The idea of loving oneself is a foreign concept to most. Many of us go through life receiving negative messages from parents, so-called friends, partners, or even the media. And we buy into it, our self-esteem plummeting.  When we accept these messages, we become focused on our own imperfections. We often feel we have to change the world for good things to happen. Maybe we just need to adjust our thinking. We don’t have to seek permission or approval to be ourselves. We just have to recognize and accept that like everyone else, we deserve to take up space on this planet just as who we are right now. Human. A good one. A smart one. A caring one. One worth love. Especially from ourselves.

DUMP WHAT’S DUMB

Just say “no”.

And no, we’re not referring to smoking, drugs or alcohol. We’re talking about saying “no” to all the things you feel pressured into saying “yes” to, ridiculous as they may be.

– Of course, you’ll drive the entire block to school even if it means going back and forth a dozen times

-Without question you’ll give your signed paycheck to someone begging on the street

-You’d be happy to give your 14-year-old driving lessons. (In your new sports car)

-Absolutely you’ll give someone your clothes and jewelry or whatever that they say they wish they had that’s yours

-Stay late at work?

-Cover for someone else’s work? Bring it on.

-Work weekends? So, I don’t go to my kid’s soccer game.

-Make a 10-tier wedding cake for your best friend’s daughter’s wedding to save her money? Sure.

“No problem. Be happy to. Just ask.”

You get the picture.

From now on, when someone asks you to do whatever you don’t want to, look them in the eye, bite your tongue and give their requests a resounding “You’ve got to be kidding!”

TOSS GUILT IN THE GARBAGE

Take control of the ball, dunk shot the dribble and think “Me, me, me…” (you can do it…practice in the mirror if you have to. The words will come out of your mouth.) So, what are a few “me” treats?

  • Let dust balls have their day.
  • Get a massage.
  • Have girls’ night out.
  • Have guys’ night out.
  • Tell the kids to get out when you need your own time-out.
  • Ignore stupid texts.
  • Ignore all texts if you want to.
  • Demand peace.
  • And quiet when needed.
  • Take the last piece of the triple layer chocolate cake no matter who begs for it.

That’s it, you’ve got it, keep it going…”me, me, me…”

If Guilt starts hounding you, send him packing and make him pay for his own ticket.

(And don’t even think of offering to drive him to the airport.) You won’t believe how good it feels to say good-bye.

I RESOLVE TO PUT ME AT THE TOP OF MY LIST

2016. Even if it was a good year, there were times it sent you on a health loop. A dizzying one; headaches, trouble sleeping, fatigue, aches and pains, stomach problems, even depression. There were times you worried there might be something wrong with you that was more serious. But did you look into them? We’ll guess…no? Will 2017 be the same? Not if you make a determined resolution starting right now to see Dr. Stephen A. Goldstein, M.D., F.A.C.S at Denver Hormone Health. It could be that unbalanced hormones are the culprit in how you feel. No one in the Denver area is more experience and qualified in hormone replacement therapy. And its Dr. Goldstein’s sole purpose to make your feel your very best. He really listens to you. Then with a few simple tests, he can tell which hormones could be taking you down. From there, he creates a unique therapy treatment to turn things around and get rid of what might be some physical garbage.

So, start the year right, and call now.

It the best thing you could do.

Just for you.

I resolve… to turn distress into de-stress.

/in , , /by

SLOW DOWN, YOU’RE GOING INTO HYPER DRIVE

Eeek! Put on the brakes. Super stress just ahead.

What is stress exactly?  There’s the basic definition; a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. But hearing it put so mildly is enough to make you want to scream. So, let’s get a little more real. Stress has also been defined as the confusion caused when one’s mind overrides the body’s natural desire to choke the living you-know-what out of some jerk that desperately needs it. Yeah, yeah, that’s more like it.

Stress, stressing, stressful…there are endless synonyms for them. You probably identify with more than a few:

  • Nerve-racking
  • On edge
  • Taxing
  • Tense
  • Trying
  • Annoying
  • Fatiguing
  • Aggravating
  • Disquieting
  • Disturbing
  • Exasperating
  • Irksome
  • Maddening
  • Agitated
  • Anxious
  • Beside Oneself
  • Hyper
  • Shot to piece
  • Unnerved
  • Uptight
  • Wired
  • High-strung
  • Keyed up
  • Overwrought
  • Up the wall
  • Strung out

Now that’s a list. Straight out of the Thesaurus.

WHEN YOUR TO-DO LIST BECOMES A TO-DIE LIST

All right, then. Stress stinks. But it can be a lot more serious than that. You might be somewhat alarmed to know that it can cause chest pain, back strain, asthma, ulcers, heartburn, headaches or palpitations.  It can zap your energy, wreak havoc on your sleep, make you feel cranky, forgetful and out of control. It can cause depression, weight problems, auto immune diseases, skin conditions such as eczema and even effect reproductive health. It can lower your sex drive, cause nausea, dizziness, diarrhea or constipation. It could make you cry rivers, slam out of the house, and tear into people at work. More importantly, repeated or prolonged stress can end up increasing heart rate causing hypertension which can raise blood pressure, damage artery walls and even cause heart attacks. You could get stressed out just thinking about it. But you need to think about it. Stress can be a real killer.

A MESS OF STRESS.

Oprah Winfrey wrote a best-selling book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff and It’s All Small. Actually, today most of us sweat it all, from our teens, (and for some, younger) until we die. Words like “peace” and “calm” are slowly hightailing it to the back of our vocabulary. According to research some of the life events that cause us the most stress are:

  • Death of a spouse
  • Divorce
  • Marital separation
  • Death of a close family member
  • Personal injury or illness
  • Marriage
  • Dismissal from work
  • Retirement
  • Change in health of a family member
  • Pregnancy
  • Sexual difficulties
  • Business readjustment
  • Change in financial status.
  • Trouble with in-laws
  • Major mortgage
  • Child leaving home
  • Change in living conditions

We’re sure your personal list goes on. We’re all different after all.

Let’s take a closer look at work stress.

Statistics have shown:

  • 40% of workers reported their job was very or extremely stressful
  • 25% view their jobs as the number one stressor in their lives
  • Three fourths of employees believe that workers have more on-the-job stress than a generation ago
  • 29% of workers felt quite a bit or extremely stressed at work
  • 26 percent of workers said they were “often or very often burned out or stressed by their work
  • 80% of workers feel stress on the job, nearly half say they need help in learning how to manage stress and 42% say their coworkers need such help
  • 14% had felt like striking a coworker in the past year, but didn’t
  • 25% have felt like screaming or shouting because of job stress
  • 10% are concerned about an individual at work they fear could become violent
  • 9% are aware of an assault or violent act in their workplace
  • 18% had experienced some sort of threat or verbal intimidation in the past year

It adds up. Job stress can do a real number. It’s is a real piece of work.

But as we’ve said, you also stress over some really subliminal small stuff. Pretty intensely, too.

  • You stress over what you’re going to make for dinner.
  • You stress over resorting to fast food.
  • You stress over your kids not picking up after themselves.
  • You stress when you order your steak medium rare and it comes back medium well.
  • You stress when your whites don’t really get white.
  • You stress when you find a white hair in your eyebrow.
  • You stress when you have a dentist appointment.
  • You stress when it rains and your hair frizzes.
  • You stress when your team loses a game.
  • You stress facing the scale.
  • You stress when your pants seem to have shrunk.
  • You stress when you watch The Victoria Secret Angels Runway Show. (Actually, that makes you unbelievable envious and envy is extremely stressful.)
  • You stress when you learn that the creators of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat and Uber are uber young and making billions.
  • You stress when you have no idea what Snapchat even is.

HOW IN THE WORLD CAN WE MANAGE?

The first thing you have to learn, is stress management. Exercising, maintaining a positive attitude, not smoking, not drinking too much coffee, following a healthy diet and maintaining a healthy weight are just a few good ways to deal with stress. And they’re all attainable.

Medicines are helpful for many things, but usually not for stress. Some people take tranquilizers to calm them down immediately, but it’s far better in the long term to learn to manage your stress through relaxation or stress management techniques.

Figuring out how stress pushes your buttons is an important step in dealing with it. So pay attention. Stop and breathe slowly when you notice it coming on.

I RESOLVE TO TRY AND FIND OUT WHAT’S TURNING MY LIFE INSIDE OUT.

Just making resolutions and worrying about keeping them is a major stress in itself. But is it just stress that’s making you feel so eh, much of the time? Probably not. If your hormones are out of balance, that just might be what’s making you feel so unbalanced. Hormones call the shots in how you feel, sending messages throughout the body at will. Will anything help? Without question. Make an appointment to see Dr. Stephen A. Goldstein, M.D., F.A.C.S at Denver Hormone Health. His expertise and experience in the field are unparalleled. With a few simple tests, he can tell which hormones are having a field day in your body. With that information, he creates a treatment totally tailored to your needs.

Making you feel better is his main goal. So, call now.

And put stress to rest.