I stumbled upon a site that offers emergency alert services for old people and it reminded me of one incident while I was waiting to cross the street. Normally, I’m very nervous about crossing busy streets that’s why I really appreciate those pedestrian overpass. Sadly, there can’t be more of those. I know some find them tedious, but I’d rather be on the safe side.

Anyway, one time, I was waiting for the road to clear when somebody tapped me from the back. It was an old lady who asked me to help her cross. I was a little nervous but of course I gathered enough courage to do it. I don’t think I ever had made so many hand signals before.

So I was thinking, it will be great if we can have something like a Medical Alarm system for our old ones. The site I mentioned earlier offers GPS tracking bracelets that also work as a speaker phone so the loved ones can find their elders in case they need immediate help while out in the streets alone. They even have a fall detector that will send a signal to the emergency personnel so they can provide immediate assistance. May take some time before we see such technology here, though. It’s also potentially costly so it may not be an option for a lot of poor families, but still having the option like can can be quite helpful.

I just want to share these few helpful information I researched about cardiovascular health. Having the genetic predisposition to hypertension, I’m rather paranoid whenever I’m feeling woozy and breathless. I’ve once consulted an internist when the dizziness and heavy feeling in the chest became rather intense and I was told that I’m borderline hypertensive. I’m never at ease when inside a hospital or clinic so I didn’t come back for reassessment when I finally felt good after weeks of watching my diet and trying to be physically active. I guess continuing to be physically active is helping me a lot, even if my diet went back to meaty-salty-fatty-processed food – something that I’m now hoping to avoid again.

Here are some symptoms that I found points to cardiovascular problems: A tightness or weighty feeling in the chest (that can spread to arms, neck, and throat) and breathlessness or choking feeling may be symptoms of angina. This is caused by restricted blood flow in the arteries. Sufferers of this type of disease take medications that thin the blood, and sometimes more drastic therapy like EDTA oral chelation. Oral chelation (e.g., EDTA) is used to remove calcium deposits and other minerals and heavy metals out of the body, resulting in clean arteries. Other signs of arterial blockade, which might need forms of chelation therapy, are cold feeling and pain in the arms or legs, memory impairment, lack of energy, and breathlessness over a slight exertion.

Of course, no one should self-diagnose, especially for those without medical background. Researching for symptoms can sometimes be a helpful thing; other times, it can only lead to paranoia (you’ll find that whatever you’re feeling has some scary medical jargon search results) and wrong diagnosis of symptoms. And don’t self-medicate. Even if you have reason to believe that EDTA chelation therapy is for you, it’s always best to consult your doctor first.