Our Wellness and Wellbeing Network is committed and passionate about making activpayroll a place where we all have the support and resources available to be healthy and happy at work.
Hot on the heels of the support for Mental Health Awareness week the Wellness and Wellbeing team is raising awareness amongst staff on the world's number one killer- heart disease.
By supporting the UK’s Heart Week (7-15 June) the Network will raise awareness of how we can all take steps to help ourselves and be alert to the symptoms.
Network Chair Jacqueline McSorley explained: ‘We’re very aware at activpayroll how devastating the effects of heart disease can be, as we sadly lost one of our colleagues from our Dubai office in April. Our support of Heart Week is in memory of Patrick.’
‘Throughout the week we’ll be providing information on healthy diet and exercise as well as encouraging everyone to find out where the nearest defibrillator is and how to use it.’
One of the most important things, after prevention, is that we are able to recognise the symptoms of a heart attack, both for ourselves and for others. The British Heart Foundation list the following as symptoms to watch out for:
· chest pain – a sensation of pressure, heaviness, tightness or squeezing across the chest
· pain in other parts of the body – it can feel as if the pain is spreading from your chest to your arms (usually the left arm is affected, but it can affect both arms), jaw, neck, back and tummy (abdomen)
· feeling lightheaded or dizzy
· sweating
· shortness of breath
· feeling sick (nausea) or being sick (vomiting)
· an overwhelming sense of anxiety (similar to having a panic attack)
· coughing or wheezing
· Although the chest pain is often severe, some people may only experience minor pain, similar to indigestion. While the most common symptom of a heart attack in both men and women is chest pain, women are more likely to experience other symptoms such as shortness of breath, nausea/vomiting and back or jaw pain.
The activpayroll team is kicking off Heart week, by encouraging everyone to walk, jog, hike or bike their way to better Heart Health.
