How do they figure out if you have blockages?

My coworker has high BP and horrible eating habits.

 

There are several ways. They can put dye in your blood and view the heart. The blockages show up that way. They can put radioactive stuff in your blood and view the light that it emits. What's interesting is that these methods are still only approximations. My doc thought that one of my arteries was 80-85% blocked, but when they actually got the catheter up there, he said it was more like 70% blocked.

Arteries don't keep getting smaller in diameter, say 50% to 80% to 100% blocked. What actually happens is that they narrow to a certain point and then a piece of plaque comes off the artery wall (plaque is the result of cholesterol in the artery and it gets inflamed and dislodges, it's kind of like a blood clot). When this chunk comes up against one of the blockages, it shuts off the blood flow. You are now having a heart attack (aschemia). Heart muscle that doesn't get blood dies. That's why time is of the essence when one is having a heart attack.

Your co-worker is a heart attack waiting to happen. I can call people that because I was too.... and didn't have a clue. Even a stress test and echocardiogram that I had in December didn't foretell my future.

If you want this person's job, leave them along and let them eat and behave themself to death. If their death would put a big strain on your workload, or you really like the person, print off my first post of this thread and show it to him/her. I can assure you that few people heed such warnings, rather they wait until it's too late, but at least you can try. Controlling high blood pressure, eating better and getting exercise are the 3 easiest ways to avoid a heart attack. In my case, doing all those things over a five month period likely caused my heart attack to be mild as opposed to, "It's the big one, Elizabeth, I'm coming home."

Extra points are awarded to anyone who can tell where that quote comes from.

PS: It's good of you to care about your co-worker, Jon. I never knew you were such a softie!!!

RRRR

 

Fred G. Sanford... the G stood for what ever he was describing at the moment.

 

We have a winner!! Nice Job, Dave, but you watch too much TV, dude!



RRRR

 

Red Foxx was awesome in that show...