Heart sufferers (心臟病患者) told to take care in heat (酷熱天)

Heart sufferers (心臟病患者) told to take care in heat (酷熱天)

Mrs Lee, who used to hike, recalled how she once tried a new path and was climbing a hill when she started sweating profusely (大量流汗), her hands turning clammy (note 1).

It was the summer of 2003 and it was a very hot day. Lee thought she was suffering from heatstroke (中暑), so stopped and went home to take a good rest.

Days later, she went to see a doctor who confirmed heatstroke. But she kept feeling unwell, with chest pains throbbing (note 2) "like a continual stomachache."

At the end of the year, another doctor gave her a more comprehensive check, and told her she had coronary artery disease (心血管病). She underwent angioplasty (血管清理術) in 2004. Lee, 62, had been experiencing chest pains since turning 50, but didn't pay much attention.

Doctors say people should take heed (note 3)- especially in the current heat wave.

Heatstroke, due to exposure to high temperatures, may lead to chest pains among those with heart disease, cardiologist Kathy Lee Wai-fun said, stressing that many people aren't even aware they have heart disease.

"Although they [heart disease and heatstroke] share some similarities in symptoms (病徵) such as sweating and dizziness (頭暈), the distinguishable one is chest pain (note 4), which can't be seen in heatstroke, but [in] heart disease."

The confusion arises from a lack of awareness of heart disease, especially among post- menopausal (更年期後) women whose risk rises fourfold (note 5) after menopause.

"Women can hardly recognize the symptoms compared to men," said the cardiologist , as "the former carry out fewer physical activities, which commonly cause obvious symptoms such as angina (see note 4) and chest pain."

She added: "The gender ratio (note 6) of heart disease patients is four men and one woman before menopause. After [menopause], the ratio becomes one and one."

From good to better English:

(note 1) clammy=冰冷黏濕的 (sticky, and cold to the touch)。clammy weather=濕濕的天氣 (Damp and unpleasant)。

(note 2) throbbing=抽動的；震動的 (beat rapidly or violently)。Throb的同義詞有beat, palpitate, pound, pulsate, pulse等。Heartthrob=心儀的人, 暗戀的對象 (A sweetheart, the object of one's infatuation)。

(note 3) take heed=留心。Heed (動詞)=留意 (pay attention to; listen to and consider)。give heed=注意, 重視。pay heed to=注意, 留心。

(note 4) chest pain= 普通的胸口痛。Angina 是心臟病導致的胸口痛 (Angina is chest pain or discomfort that occurs when an area of one’s heart muscle doesn't get enough oxygen-rich blood)。

(note 5) fourfold= 四倍 (Four times; quadruple)。Thrice=三倍。Twice=兩倍。Double=兩倍的, 表裏不一的，兩面派的。A double bed=雙人床。Serve a double purpose=一舉兩得。A double meaning=語義雙關。

(note 6) gender ratio=男女比例。Gender=性。the masculine [feminine] gender=腸[陰]性。grammatical gender=語法的性。Genderist=帶有性別歧視的人。Engender=惹起，釀成, 產生；形成 (bring into existence; give rise to)。Engender的同義詞有breed, create, father, hatch, make, originate, parent, procreate, produce, sire, spawn等。

Victor’s View: We should have the sense to avoid exercising under the sun in hot weather. Sudden-death cases aren’t unheard of, including healthy men in their thirties. Friends, take it easy!

Victor Fung Keung, director of HK Baptist University’s M.A. in international journalism program, has published 4 books on English-enhancement [the latest, titled <<學會演說、改變你的人生>>, was published on July 18] and plans to write 6 more by the end of 2012. Write to him: deanfungenglish@gmail.com)