In the United States of America, February is a month dedicated to heart health. Many doctors and cardiovascular experts take these 28 days to re-teach or inform the public of possible heart health scares and how to create a strong internal health. However, Illinois goes above and beyond in educating its citizens of both the tips and worries associated with heart health.
According to the associates in the Illinois Department of Public Health stationed in Springfield Illinois, there are interviews and lessons on heart health from Jan. 31, 2025.
“Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in Illinois and across the country, but many risk factors are preventable,” Governor JB Pritzker said. “This Heart Health Month, take charge of your well-being and schedule a screening, make heart-healthy choices, and encourage your loved ones to do the same.”
The governor of Illinois also takes time to express his sincere gratitude for this awareness month but also his concerns on how awful Illinois citizens heart health looks to be. Antioch Community High School has a mandatory health class that teaches about mayne topics including how to help yourself and others during heart failure, how to keep a healthy heart, and the dangers of how one could ruin their cardiovascular system.
Former ACHS health teacher Robert Hafer who currently teaches gym classes, has found his teaching about the heart so useful in his own life. Although he does not teach a health course currently, he did for decades prior and has gained so much knowledge.
“The nutrition aspect sometimes goes unsaid in regards to the health of your heart,” Hafer said. “Then the fitness piece, Pe is here for a reason, our focus is lifetime activity, that is only going to benefit their heart as they age.”
ACHS has numerous fitness classes for students to take. Each one has different exercise and health components to teach about the unique and fun ways to stay in shape. Physical activities are not the only component of cardiovascular knowledge ACHS teaches. It is required to take one semester of a health class a students freshman year.
Marni Polakow or less formally known as Coach P, has been and is currently a health and gym teacher. She has taught about both of the physical sides of the heart being how to take care of your cardiovascular system. She also helps others see t symptoms of any heart related failures.
“We teach students how to do compression-only CPR as well as the signs and symptoms of cardiac issues,” Polakow said. “ We cover physical wellness early in the semester and teach kids about the importance of sleep, exercise and stress. We also cover symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest that are immediate and severe that include sudden collapse, no pulse, no breathing, loss of consciousness.”
Those can be symptoms easier to see when being a bystander rather than in yourself. ACHS also teaches what symptoms to feel when having cardiac arrest or needing to seek medical attention.
“Other symptoms that occur before sudden cardiac arrest can include chest discomfort, shortness of breath, weakness, fast-beating, fluttering or pounding heartbeat called palpitations, but sudden cardiac arrest often occurs with no warning” Polakow said.
ACHS has numerous teachers, courses, and sources for students to get the information they need to not only keep a healthy heart but also teach others when in need. Although none of the courses at ACHS can make the students certified, The Antioch Public Library has options on how to get CPR certified. The United States and Antioch, Illinois have so many resources to teach anyone about the importance of a healthy heart.
