Defibrillators are becoming more and more common in public places.
When your heart stops and no one is around to help, a person can die in just minutes. That's one of the reasons why defibrillators are becoming more popular in places with large numbers of people like grocery stores, schools and sporting events.
But researchers in Toronto wanted to know if there were other more populated places that weren't being considered like coffee shops and ATM's. They found that one of those locations always seemed to be close to heavily populated areas.
If the public could get used to the fact that one would always be available at those locations, more lives could be saved because someone witnessing a heart attack would know where to get one.
The use of a defibrillator gives someone a 70% chance of survival compared to less than 10%.
Another way to help prevent deaths from heart conditions is through screening.
Mercy Health Muskegon is offering free student heart screenings again this year. If you have a high school student in the Muskegon area you may want to consider taking them for this 15 minute screening.
They are being offered on April 26, July 19, August 9 and the 23rd at Mercy Health’s Hackley Campus in Muskegon. Students must have the consent of a parent or guardian.
For more information visit the Mercy Health Heart and Vascular website or call 231-672-3047.
And just for fun -- do you know where your heart is located? Left right or center of your chest? I've got a fun test for you to take to learn more about your heart including whether or not a broken heart really does hurt courtesy of WebMD.
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The following information originally appeared on MedicineNet.com.