Teen Heart Check will run on Saturday, March 24, in the Genesee Career Institute, formerly known as the Genesee Area Skill Center.

Free heart screenings will be provided to middle and high school students.

The event is sponsored by the Thomas Smith Memorial Foundation and Hurley Children’s Hospital.

To register ahead of time or for more information, call 262-7123 or visit www.TommysHeart.org.

The goal of the event is to by provide early detection and education for teenage heart illnesses, free of charge.

Sudden cardiac arrest occurs from a sudden, unexpected loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness. It is caused by a disturbance in the pumping of the heart that stops blood flow to the rest of your body.

According to Close the Gap, SCA is a common killer in teen athletes.

The Close the Gap website says, “Sudden cardiac arrest is the leading cause of death in young athletes. Most often, the death occurs during athletic training or competition.”

As said by Mayo Clinic, there are several symptom that can lead to SCA. Detecting and controlling the symptoms can be very beneficial.

“If you have frequent episodes of chest pain or discomfort, heart palpitations, irregular or rapid heartbeats, unexplained wheezing or shortness of breath, fainting or near fainting, or you’re feeling lightheaded or dizzy, see your doctor promptly,” the Mayo Clinic’s website says. “If these symptoms are ongoing, you should call 911 or emergency medical help.”

Mrs. Amy Graham, health teacher, explained the benefits of detecting SCA early, as well as other heart problems.

“Sudden cardiac arrest is the number one cause of death in teen athletes,” Graham said.

“Any time you can detect it (SCA) ahead of time is great,” Graham said. “Early detection could decrease the number of deaths a year.”

Student-athletes are required to have a checkup before joining sports. But for most other students, checkups are overlooked.

Consider taking the opportunity to have a free heart checkup, don’t wait for it to be too late.