Employee Wellness, Resources, & Upcoming Events

• coronary artery disease caused by plaque in the artery walls   

• arrhythmia caused by the heart beating too slowly, too fast or irregularly   

• heart failure, which occurs when the heart is too weak to pump enough blood to other organs   

Heart disease boosts your risk for heart attacks and sudden cardiac arrest.   

Symptoms of Heart Attacks  

Some heart attacks may happen suddenly, with intense pain, while others start slowly with only mild pain or discomfort. It’s important to know these major symptoms of a heart attack:   

• pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck, stomach or back  

• feeling weak, dizzy, light-headed or faint  

• chest pain or discomfort  

• pain or discomfort in arms or shoulder  

• shortness of breath  

• unusual or unexplained fatigue  

 If you think you’re having a heart attack, call 911 right away.  

You should also be aware of what heart disease may feel like.  In addition to heart attack symptoms, you may also experience:  

• fluttering in your chest, called palpitations or arrhythmia  

• fatigue  

• swelling of your feet and legs, abdomen or neck veins  

Even if you’re not experiencing symptoms, you may still be at risk for heart disease. This is why it’s so important to keep up with your preventive care and regular screenings. 

How Can You Lower Your Risk?   

You can’t control risk factors like your family history or age, but with the right lifestyle changes, you can help lower your heart attack risk:  

• Maintain a healthy weight. Need to lose a few pounds? Even a 10-pound weight loss can lower blood pressure and reduce strain on your heart.   

• Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol in a healthy range. Talk to your provider about your numbers and ask what you can do to lower them.   

• Eat a healthy, well-balanced diet. Foods like fresh fruits and vegetables, balanced with whole grains, low-fat dairy, skinless chicken and fish may help prevent clogged arteries and blood vessels.    

• Exercise regularly. Aim for at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity, like walking or cycling, weekly.    

• Don’t smoke or use tobacco and limit alcohol. They can raise your blood pressure and risk for heart disease.   

• Practice self-care to manage stress.   

Preventive care is 100% covered through your TRS-ActiveCare and TRS-Care Standard plans.   

• TRS-ActiveCare participants can use Provider Finder® to search for a provider. Call a Personal Health Guide (PHG) available 24/7 at 1-866-355-5999 or chat through the BCBSTX App for help.  

• TRS-Care Standard participants can search for a provider using Provider Finder. Call a PHG available 24/7 at 1-866-355-5999 or chat through the BCBSTX App for help.  

Resources  for TRS-ActiveCare and TRS-Care Standard

Well onTarget® Wellness Coaching 

Your TRS-ActiveCare and TRS-Care Standard plans offer Well onTarget® Wellness Coaching from credentialed professionals with a variety of programs that will improve your heart health including helping to manage weight, stress, blood pressure and cholesterol. You can also get help with eating better and quitting tobacco.   

• TRS-ActiveCare Well onTarget 

• TRS-Care Standard Well onTarget 

Fitness Program 

Not sure where to start when it comes to exercise? TRS-ActiveCare and TRS-Care Standard offer a discounted Fitness Program that gives you access to a nationwide network of fitness locations. There’s also a virtual fitness program so you can stay active at home.  

• TRS-ActiveCare Fitness Program  

• TRS-Care Standard Fitness Program 

Make Good Habits Now 

Healthy habits lead to a healthier life. A recent long-term study showed you can add more than 10 years to your life and help avoid serious illness like cancer, heart disease and diabetes by sticking with certain healthy habits, including: 

1. Eat a healthy diet: Eat more vegetables, fruits, nuts, whole grains and healthy fats. Limit or avoid red and processed meats, sugary drinks, trans fats and too much salt. 

2. Stay active: Aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity, like brisk walking or swimming, each day. You don’t even need to do it all at once. Experts say three 10-minute walks may be as effective as one 30-minute walk to lower blood pressure and a two-minute stroll can help keep blood sugar levels stable.  

Here are the best exercises to add into your life: 

1. Aerobic exercise — like walking, swimming, running or biking — strengthens your heart and lowers your blood pressure. It can also help your lungs.  

2. Balance-based activities like tai chi can help guard against falls. 

3. Weight training is especially important as we age because it can: 

• help keep bones strong 

• increase strength and muscle mass 

• improve balance 

• make joints healthier  

3. Don’t smoke. Smoking can increase your risk of developing heart disease, cancer and lung disease. It can also lead to erectile dysfunction and affect fertility. 

4. Limit alcohol. Too much alcohol over a long period of time can increase the risk of heart disease, liver disease and cancer. It can also lower your testosterone levels and cause sexual dysfunction. 

Resources for TRS-Care Standard and TRS-ActiveCare

Finding a Provider 

Getting a yearly physical exam is another important part of staying healthy for life. Screenings for health conditions can help cut the risk of many health problems that are more common in older men, like heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes. 

You can use Provider Finder® to find the right doctors for your screenings.  

• TRS-ActiveCare Provider Finder® 

• TRS-Care Standard Provider Finder® 

Well onTarget® 

Start working with a wellness coach and sign up for self-guided digital courses on managing stress, improving your fitness level and dietary habits, losing or maintaining weight, and improving cholesterol and blood pressure. 

• TRS-ActiveCare Well onTarget 

• TRS-Care Standard Well onTarget

Some Common Myths About Cancer Are:  

1. You won’t get cancer if it doesn’t run in your family. A family history of any type of cancer is an important thing to share with your provider, but many men who have cancer have no family history.  

2. It’s always a lump you can feel. Cancer doesn’t always present as a lump, especially if it’s early stage.  

3. You don’t need to worry about cancer if you maintain a healthy lifestyle. While maintaining a healthy weight, eating well, exercising, and limiting tobacco and alcohol use can lower your risk, there’s no guarantee you won’t develop cancer.  

4. You only need to be screened for cancer if you have symptoms. Often, early-stage cancer is diagnosed when you’re feeling fine. Since it’s common to not have any symptoms, it’s important to keep up with your recommended screenings, even if you feel great. 

Prostate Cancer 

Prostate cancer is the most common non-skin cancer in American men. It often has no symptoms, especially in an early stage. When there are symptoms, they can include: 

• trouble starting or stopping the flow of urine 

• passing urine more often during the day or getting up many times during the night to pass urine 

• frequent, urgent need to pass urine, even when there is only a small amount 

• less urine flow 

• burning when you pass urine 

• chills and high fever 

• low back pain or body aches 

• pain low in the belly, groin or behind the scrotum 

• sexual problems and loss of sex drive 

Tell your doctor if you have these symptoms. Keep in mind that men can have prostate changes that cause symptoms like these but aren’t because of cancer. For example, as you age, the prostate tends to grow and can decrease urine flow. 

You should start getting screened at age 50, even if you don’t have any signs or symptoms. Your provider may recommend getting screened earlier if you’re African American or have a family history of prostate cancer. 

Getting Screened 

The most common screening test for prostate cancer is the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood test. PSA is made by both normal and cancer cells in the prostate gland. A higher level of PSA may indicate that cancer is present. 

Your provider can also perform a digital rectal exam (DRE) to screen for prostate cancer. During a DRE, your provider will insert a gloved finger into your rectum to feel for abnormalities in the prostate. 

Testicular Cancer 

Testicular cancer isn’t as common as prostate cancer. It’s found most frequently between the ages of 15 and 45 and is highly treatable. The most common sign is a painless lump in your testicle, but it can also cause:  

• swelling or a buildup of fluid in your scrotum or testicles 

• heaviness or “full” feeling in the scrotum 

• mild ache in your lower abdomen or groin  

• pain or discomfort in your scrotum, testicle or lower back 

There’s no recommended screening schedule for testicular cancer. Regular testicular self-examinations can help identify growths early when the chance for successful treatment of testicular cancer is highest. 

A testicular self-exam is best performed after a warm shower because heat relaxes the scrotum, making it easier to spot anything abnormal. Follow these steps every month: 

1. Stand in front of a mirror. Check for any swelling on the scrotum skin. 

2. Examine each testicle with both hands. Place the index and middle fingers under the testicle with the thumbs placed on top. Roll the testicle gently between the thumbs and fingers. Don't be alarmed if one testicle seems slightly larger than the other. That's normal. 

3. Find the epididymis, the soft, tubelike structure behind the testicle that collects and carries sperm. If you are familiar with this structure, you won't mistake it for a suspicious lump. Cancerous lumps usually are found on the sides of the testicle but can also show up on the front. 

If you find a lump, see your Primary Care Provider. Only a doctor can make a positive diagnosis. Common procedures to diagnose testicular cancer are:  

• physical exam 

• blood work 

• ultrasound 

• biopsy 

Lowering Your Risk 

Most risk factors for prostate and testicular cancer, like age, family history and ethnicity, can’t be changed. However, these healthy lifestyle choices may help lower your risk: 

• Keep a healthy weight. 

• Eat healthy foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Limit dairy, red and processed meat, sugary drinks, and highly processed foods. 

• Get regular physical activity. 

• Avoid tobacco and alcohol. 

Resources for TRS-ActiveCare and TRS-Care Standard

Provider Finder®  

Our Provider Finder offers an easy way to find a doctor, hospital or other type of medical care. You can search by location, gender or specialty. You can also research providers using patient reviews, certifications and recognition information. 

• TRS-ActiveCare Provider Finder 

• TRS-Care Standard Provider Finder 

The Fitness Program 

Your health plan gives you so much more than coverage for doctors’ visits. It includes a variety of programs to help you take a well-rounded approach to your health and wellness at little to no extra cost.  

Sign up for the Fitness Program to get affordable, no-contract memberships at gyms nationwide.  

• TRS-ActiveCare Fitness Program  

• TRS-Care Standard Fitness Program 

Well onTarget® 

Start working with a wellness coach through Well onTarget® and sign up for self-guided digital courses on managing stress, improving your fitness level and dietary habits, losing or maintaining weight and improving cholesterol and blood pressure.  

• TRS-ActiveCare Well onTarget 

• TRS-Care Standard Well onTarget