Mom Knew Her Numbers, And We're Glad She Did.

"Mom looked into me and saw something worth believing in, long before I believed in myself."

I became a heart health advocate after losing three grandparents to heart disease. In 2016, I created an organization called Helping Hands Saving Hearts to educate others on the risk factors, prevention methods, and warning signs of heart attacks and strokes.
My mother has been one of my biggest supporters throughout my journey. In the past few weeks, she had been experiencing headaches, dizziness, and blurred vision
Deep down, I knew something was very, very wrong. I could almost feel it. It was as if, my instincts were jumping up and down, shouting answers. I suggested for my mother to check her blood pressure, because through my platform, I learned hypertension is a silent killer with no obvious symptoms. Small irregularities can be caused by high blood pressure, but differ for everyone. My mother's blood pressure was sky-high. Through the roof. As an adult, Mom has always had particularly low blood pressure. Luckily, she "knew her numbers", so she was aware her hypertension was a bright red flag.
I'm very blessed and thankful that my mother and I took the proper precautions, by seeking instant medical attention. She is now closely monitoring her blood pressure, has been prescribed hypertension medication, and taking broader steps to prioritize her heart health.
High blood pressure is a silent killer, and can rapidly increase risk for heart attack and stroke. The American Heart Association recommends that you be aware of five life-changing numbers. Total cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar, and your body mass index. With these numbers, you and your health care providers can be armed with the knowledge to correctly determine your risk for heart disease. By knowing these numbers, you just might save your life. These numbers very well could be the reason my mother lived to tell about her hypertensive scare. I will forever be thankful for our "success story". It is my goal to educate others, so they can be aware, and have a success story of their own. Heart disease is an epidemic. We're here to end it. #YouGoGirl
To learn more about how you can Know Your Numbers visit http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/Conditions/More/Diabetes/PreventionTreatmentofDiabetes/Know-Your-Health-Numbers_UCM_313882_Article.jsp#.WTOVyuvyvIU