Stop Heart Disease
Go Red For Women is challenging one million women to stop heart disease and Go Red. Women can take action against their No. 1 killer by taking the Go Red Heart CheckUp. An online, 10-year risk assessment, the CheckUp will help women calculate their risk of heart disease. Know your numbers and learn how to make healthy habits part of your daily routine.
High Blood Pressure
According to recent estimates, nearly one in three U.S. adults has high blood pressure, but because there are no symptoms, nearly one-third of these people don't know they have it. In fact, many people have high blood pressure for years without knowing it. Uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to stroke, heart attack, heart failure or kidney failure. This is why high blood pressure is often called the "silent killer." The only way to tell if you have high blood pressure is to have your blood pressure checked.
Heart Attack, Stroke and Cardiac Arrest Warning Signs
Heart Attack Warning Signs
*Chest discomfort. Most heart attacks involve discomfort in the center of the chest that lasts more than a few minutes, or that goes away and comes back. It can feel like uncomfortable pressure, squeezing, fullness or pain.
*Discomfort in other areas of the upper body. Symptoms can include pain or discomfort in one or both arms, the back, neck, jaw or stomach.
*Shortness of breath. May occur with or without chest discomfort.
Other signs: These may include breaking out in a cold sweat, nausea or lightheadedness
Stroke Warning Signs
*Sudden numbness or weakness of the face, arm or leg, especially on one side of the body
*Sudden confusion, trouble speaking or understanding
*Sudden trouble seeing in one or both eyes
*Sudden trouble walking, dizziness, loss of balance or coordination *Sudden, severe headache with no known cause
Cardiac arrest strikes immediately and without warning
*Sudden loss of responsiveness (no response to tapping on shoulders).
*No normal breathing (the victim does not take a normal breath when you tilt the head up and check for at least five seconds).
National Teen Dating Violence Awareness & Prevention - February 2-6, 2009
Dating violence can happen to anyone. However, young victims face different obstacles than older, adult victims do.
According to recent studies, 20 percent of teenage girls and young women have experienced some form of dating violence.
Dating violence can include physical, emotional, verbal, psychological or sexual abuse. Teen dating violence often increases the risks of substance abuse, sexual activity, pregnancy and suicide, especially for female victims.
It is important to educate teens and those who can influence them to distinguish violent dating behaviors from healthy behaviors.
“Relationships shape our personal worlds with unforgettable experiences. Violence in any relationship, including teen dating, should never be tolerated. Awareness about dating violence behaviors can help teens and other young adults avoid or end harmful relationships. During the month of February please join the Office on Violence Against Women to raise awareness by sharing resources, joining discussions and becoming informed about the impact of teen dating violence.”
Dating violence is an act or threat of violence by an individual against his or her dating partner. Dating violence is often a precursor to domestic violence, which is defined as violence within a married couple. Both forms of violence are commonly referred to as “intimate partner violence.”
In the United States, nearly 9% of youth reported being victims of physical dating violence in 1999.
In Connecticut, this proportion was 13%--higher than in any other state in the nation and 50% higher than in the nation as a whole. Yet dating violence continues to be an underrecognized and underaddressed issue in Connecticut and throughout the U.S.
Warning Signs
Researchers have identified a number of early warning signs for dating violence. These signs, though not always an indicator of a
potentially violent relationship, should be viewed as red flags that your relationship could progress to many types of dating violence
• Your dating partner is always keeping track of you—he or she wants to know where you are every minute.
• Your partner is controlling. He or she tells you what to wear, how to act and who you can (and can’t) hang out with.
• Your partner seems to have an explosive temper. He or she sometimes lashes out at you, yelling and calling you names.
• You are often apologizing to friends and family for your partner’s behavior.
• You begin to give up things that are important to you— family, friends, school or activities—to keep your partner happy.
• You sometimes feel afraid of your partner
Signs of Abuse in Your Dating Relationship:
Your boyfriend or girlfriend pressures you into a serious relationship or to have sex soon after you begin dating.
Your boyfriend or girlfriend becomes extremely jealous and possessive and displays those feelings with destructive displays of emotion or violence.
Your boyfriend or girlfriend tries to control you by being bossy, giving orders, making all the decisions, and refusing to take your views seriously.
Your boyfriend or girlfriend puts you down in front of friends and is often critical and condescending.
Your boyfriend or girlfriend yells at you, swears at you, is manipulative, spreads rumors about you or tries to make you feel guilty.
Your boyfriend or girlfriend threatens you or makes you worried about his or her reactions to things you say or do.
Your boyfriend or girlfriend abuses alcohol or other drugs and pressures you to use them.
Your boyfriend or girlfriend has abused others and brags about it.
Your boyfriend or girlfriend grabs, pushes, shoves or hits you.
Your boyfriend or girlfriend makes your family and friends uneasy and concerned for your safety.
Your boyfriend or girlfriend has a history of failed relationships and blames the other person for those problems.
If you have any questions on Teen Dating Violence Prevention or would like more information please contact Cheshire Youth and Social Services at 271-6690 or by e-mail at cheshireyouthservices@cheshirect.org
