OVERVIEW
Aortic Dissection Awareness Day is celebrated every year on September 19th to raise awareness on a rare but life-threatening medical condition that often goes undiagnosed or misunderstood and occurs when the inner layer of the aorta tears, allowing blood to surge between the layers of the artery wall causing a separation, or “dissection”, and if the blood breaks through the outer wall the result is often fatal.
It was created to provide educational resources by the organizations, share survivor stories and promote research to improve outcomes, and its goal is to empower the general public, the patients, the families and the healthcare professionals with knowledge, encouraging preventive care, due to the fact that this condition remains relatively unknown and is often confused for many other diagnoses like heart attacks, and also supporting those affected by it.
HISTORY – TIMELINE
FIVE FACTS ABOUT THE HEART
AS BIG AS A FIST – The average heart is as big as an adult’s fist.
THE HEARTBEAT – The heart beats approximately 115000 times a day.
BLOOD PUMPS – The heart pumps about 7571 liters of blood daily.
THE FIRST PACEMAKER – The first implantable pacemaker was invented in 1958.
THE LARGEST HEART AMONG MAMMALS – Whales have the largest hearts in the mammals family.
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
- Aortic Dissection Awareness Day educates people about a very important health condition;
- It’s good to be informed about the event so you can offer support to someone who may be suffering from it;
- Aortic Dissection Awareness Day encourages conversation about a little-known disease;
- The more conversations we have, the more people will learn about it;
- A greater degree of awareness promotes a more proactive approach to healthcare;
- This will benefit us all in living longer, healthier lives.
CONCLUSIONS
Aortic Dissection Awareness Day is a vital opportunity to bring attention to a condition that is often overlooked but can be fatal without any kind of immediate medical intervention.
By committing to learning more, sharing informations and advocating for a better understanding of this silent and dangerous situation, we can help improve diagnosis, support ongoing research and ultimately save lives.
Source: https://nationaltoday.com/