Rock Island Today

State Sen. Neil Anderson (R-Andalusia) recently sported a red tie to mark the American Heart Association's National Go Red for Women Day campaign.

"Today is #GoRedForWomenDay! Every 80 seconds a woman will die of heart disease or stroke," Anderson wrote in a Feb. 3 Facebook post. "It’s important to know the signs and symptoms of both. To learn more, go to www.goredforwomen.com."

This year's theme for Go Red for Women Day was "Be the Beat," which encourages people to learn how to correctly give CPR in case of an emergency. 

The American Heart Association outlines the symptoms of both a stroke and a heart attack. According to the AHA, stroke symptoms include: sudden numbness or weakness in the face, arm, or leg, sudden confusion, and trouble speaking or understanding, to name a few. Heart attack symptoms in women are different than for men and can include: shortness or breath, nausea/vomiting, and back or jaw pain. Other symptoms can be uncomfortable pressure, chest pain, and pain or discomfort in one or both arms. 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention noted that heart disease is the number one cause of death for women in the United States.

Anderson has served the 47th District since 2015. The district now includes portions of/or all of Adams, Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Knox, Mason, McDonough, Menard, Mercer, Peoria, Rock Island, Schuyler, Stark, Tazwell, and Warren counties. When he's not serving the residents of the 47th District as a legislator in Springfield, Anderson is a firefighter/paramedic in Moline.