Typically, when someone thinks of February and hearts, they think of Valentine’s Day. While Valentine’s Day is definitely a big aspect of the month, it is often forgotten that February is also Heart Health Month. 

Heart health month is meant to be a month where individuals, whether they have cardiovascular issues or not, focus on doing activities to keep their heart happy. Teens may not be the first group one thinks of when it comes to heart problems, but to make it stay that way, teens have to start thinking about their heart health early. Teens may smoke and use drugs, but using those substances can lead to heart issues later on. Avoiding those temptations result in a healthier heart and overall lifestyle. Another way to contribute to a healthy lifestyle is to eat less salty or junky foods, which definitely can be difficult, but even cutting back a little on those types of foods can help. 

Teens should be aware of their family history and know if any heart issues run in their family. Jennifer Dennis, a Health Science Instructor at Bob Jones, clarified, “Most cardiac issues are found at birth (congenital defects) OR later in life as a result of either family history or lifestyle choices.” Taking precautions early can avoid later possible cardiovascular problems. To learn more about what you can do to take part in Heart Health month and avoid cardiac problems, visit the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s website by clicking here.

If you are interested in a cardiac medical career, there is a wide array of options for you to choose from. Mrs. Dennis has given examples of many different career paths in this field including EKG Technician, Cardiovascular technician, cardiac nurse, clinical cardiac perfusionists, cardiovascular surgeon, cardiac nurse practitioners, and more. In the new CTE lab in Health Science, you can receive an EKG certification, as well as a Clinical Medical Assistant Certification. A senior who is certified as a Clinical Medical Assistant, Anna Butler, described what she learned from achieving her certification. She stated, “As a Clinical Medical Assistant, I was trained how to run and evaluate patient EKGs. I also learned how to use Holter Monitoring to evaluate my patient’s cardiac function.” If you are interested in a career in this field of study, you should take advantage of the opportunities here at Bob Jones.

During this Heart Health Month, take some time to learn about your heart. Also, do some activities and learn about your family history to avoid heart issues in the future. You can learn some more facts here: