heart attack

Bonus Health Post: You, Me, and the Tiny Plastic Invaders: What Microplastics Are Doing to Our Health

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What do your water bottle, dinner plate, and yoga mat have in common? If you guessed “they’re watching me,” you might need more sleep. But if you guessed plastic—you’re on to something. In fact, you might even be part plastic without knowing it.

🌍 Plastic, Plastic Everywhere

We’ve all seen the photos of plastic waste swirling in oceans or stuck in sea turtles’ noses. But the real plot twist? Microplastics—tiny fragments less than 5mm—are now in our food, water, air, and even our bloodstreams. They’re showing up in bottled water, salt, produce, breast milk, and (brace yourself) even the human placenta.

A recent study found that one bottle of water can contain up to 240,000 microscopic plastic bits. We’re drinking them, eating them, and—yes—inhaling them.

🧠🫁🚨 Where Do They Go?

Once inside the body, microplastics don’t just leave a thank-you note and exit politely. Particles small enough (under 200 nanometers) can sneak past your gut lining, enter your bloodstream, and get comfortable in places like your lungs, liver, arteries, and even your brain. Yikes.

One study even found microplastics inside artery plaques, increasing the risk of stroke and heart attack. Another found them in carotid artery tissue—and folks with plastic in those tissues were more likely to have serious heart events.

🧬 What They Can Do

Scientists aren’t just speculating anymore. Lab and animal studies show microplastics can:

  • Trigger inflammation and oxidative stress
  • Damage cells and DNA
  • Disrupt hormones and fertility
  • Alter the gut microbiome
  • Worsen lung, heart, and brain health

And since plastics can absorb other toxins like BPA or phthalates, they sometimes act like microscopic taxis carrying harmful chemicals to your cells. Not the Uber we ordered.

🤰 Should We Be Worried?

Yes—but not panicked. While we don’t yet have long-term human studies that say “THIS much plastic causes THAT disease,” we do know these particles don’t belong in our bodies. They’re not biodegradable, and some may be with us for life.

Think of it like secondhand smoke in the early days—we didn’t know exactly how harmful it was, but the writing was already on the wall.

🧼 So, What Can You Do?

Here’s the good news: You can reduce your exposure starting today with a few small changes:

  • Use glass, stainless steel, or ceramic instead of plastic, especially for hot foods or drinks
  • Don’t microwave in plastic (yes, even the “microwave-safe” ones)
  • Choose filtered tap water over bottled
  • Cut back on single-use plastics and plastic-packaged foods
  • Support policies that reduce plastic use and encourage safer alternatives

🌱 Bottom Line:

Microplastics may be tiny, but their impact isn’t. The science is catching up, and while we wait for clearer answers, there’s power in awareness and action. You don’t have to live in a bubble (preferably not a plastic one), but a few smart swaps can protect your health—and the planet.

🙋‍♂️ Questions for You:

  1. What’s one plastic item you could swap out this week?
  2. Have you ever tried a “plastic-free” challenge or product?
  3. What surprises you most about where microplastics are found?

Healthy Tips: Slow but Steady is Best

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Set realistic goals: Don’t try to change too much too soon.

Typical first few weeks in January at the gym. There are more people working hard to lose the ten pounds they put on over the holidays. Most will quit within a few weeks. If they slowed down and worked consistently they’d achieve their goals. There was this one guy sitting on a bench near the machine I was using. He is about 30 pounds overweight. His face was bright red. I was afraid he was going to have a stroke or heart attack. Eventually, his face and balding head turned pink, that’s progress. He went to the machine next to me. He chose to lift a heavy weight. I was impressed. He managed to lift it, but could only do a couple of reps before he quit. He was bright red again. Maybe he was trying to impress the ladies, I don’t know. I do know if he lifted a much lighter weight and did more reps he’d burn more calories and make more progress toward the heavier weights he wants to lift. I’ve been exercising most of my life. I’ve learned taking it small and slow prevents injuries and if I am consistent in my exercise, I’ll achieve my goals. If you’ve made exercise a goal this year, don’t quit. Don’t get discouraged. We will hit plateaus but work through them. Stay at it.

Health Tip of the Day ~ What are the Symptoms of a Heart Attack?

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Note: Women have several other symptoms to recognize

Symptoms of Heart Attack

Common signs and symptoms of a heart attack include:

    • Chest pain or discomfort.
    • Pain or discomfort that radiates up to the jaw area or down the arm, to the back or stomach.
    • Shortness of breath.
    • Sweating.
    • Dizziness or lightheadedness.
    • Nausea or vomiting.

“The hallmark signs and symptoms (are) like what we see in the movies,” Elfrey says, describing it as a crushing chest pain, where the individual grabs their chest or makes a fist and holds onto their chest.

Someone experiencing a heart attack may describe the feeling as an elephant sitting on their chest. The pain may feel like an excruciating, severe squeezing sensation, explains Dr. Daniel Hermann, an interventional and structural cardiologist and director of structural cardiology at Memorial Hermann Memorial City Medical Center in Houston.

Heart Attack Symptoms in Women

Signs of a heart attack in women can present much more subtly than heart attack symptoms in men. In addition to the symptoms listed above, these include:

    • Discomfort in the upper belly or lower chest, similar to the feeling of indigestion.
    • Extreme fatigue.

All of these signs can be more prominent in women than the classic chest pain symptom. For women, maybe their chest pain is less prominent, or sometimes completely absent, Hermann says.

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