Don urges Nigerians with health issues to guard their hearts

Ini Billie, Uyo

Nigerians with health conditions such as diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure and cigarette smokers have been urged to guard their hearts against cardiac arrest.

Professor of Cardiothoracic, Prof Eyo Effiong Ekpe, who said that these health conditions trigger certain types of abnormal heartbeats called arrhythmias responsible for sudden cardiac arrest, warned against activities that would endanger the chest and put the heart under pressure.

Speaking on Wednesday as the 117th Inaugural Lecturer of the University of Uyo, on the topic, “My Chest! My Chest!! My Chest!!!: Relieving Chest Pain, Preventing Death and Restoring Health”, Ekpe, a Cardiothoracic Surgery expert in the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Clinical Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Uyo, said many Nigerians have died for ignoring cardiac arrest triggers, preventing them, or seeking late medical attention to chest related ailments.

He cautioned against stress, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, coronary artery disease and electrolyte disorders, cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse, saying they were causes and triggers of arrhythmias.

“Chest pain should not be ignored. Symptoms of chest pain that are reported early would allow the clinician to obtain adequate medical history from the person, medically examine the person thoroughly, optimally conduct the necessary laboratory tests to unravel the cause, and apply an evidence-based treatment modality to relieve the chest pain, prevent death and restore health.

“People should guard their hearts diligently to prevent a heart attack. Cigarettes should not be smoked, high blood pressure should be prevented or controlled, diabetes mellitus should be prevented or controlled, and high blood cholesterol and lipoproteins should be prevented or controlled. A culture of regular physical exercise must be intentionally domesticated.

“People should guard their hearts diligently to prevent cardiac arrest. Causes and triggers of arrhythmias should be prevented by preventing stress, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, coronary artery disease and electrolyte disorders, and avoiding cigarette smoking and alcohol abuse,” he stated.

Ekpe said medical consultation for chest problems should be with qualified medical doctors to avoid misdiagnosis, wrong treatment and complications, adding that regular medical checks and timely reports of symptoms of ailments must be prioritised.

“Safe-driving habits and road safety must be taken seriously. Seat restrained belts should be used by all occupants of moving vehicles.

“Bicycles, motorcycles and tricycles should not ply traffic-congested roads. All victims of chest pain and chest injuries must be attended to by qualified medical doctors promptly,” he advised.

Professor of Cardiothoracic, Prof Eyo Effiong