How Family Heart Problems Could Affect You!
What are some of the underlying factors that you share with your family? Factors such as curly hair and dimpled cheeks are obvious to everyone, but other than these physical, more-apparent features, there are countless common features between you and your family: genes, environment, behaviors, and lifestyle. So, if your sister is dealing with high cholesterol or your father or mother has had a heart attack in the past, then this is calls for concern! We are not saying you should go down the tunnel of despair and misery and start thinking that you are destined to get a heart attack, but now, it is time for you to comprehend all the factors that aid you in adopting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Genes and Family History
Before we dive in and explore the multiple ways you can prevent a heart condition, let’s explore some of the important factors that explain how family heart problems could affect you. Genes, family history, age, sex, lifestyle, and ethnicity are some of the main contributing factors.
Parent’s traits are passed down to their offspring through information blocks such as genes in a process called heredity. When the heart is involved, genes play an important role; some of the cardiovascular diseases are hereditary. In addition to this, the lifestyle that you share with your family plays an important role as well, so unhealthy lifestyle choices such as smoking and unhealthy eating double the risk of heart disease.
These are some of the factors that you have some control over, but there are other factors as well that can make you prone to heart disease.
Age plays an important role in this case; as you get older, your chances of getting a heart disease increase. Other than this, heart diseases are the number one cause of deaths in the United States of America.
So the first step that you must take is to learn about your family history.
Family history
The only way to be certain about a disease running in your family tree is by looking at your family history. How does one check their family history? Consider the following points, and we are certain you will get all the family history that you need:
- Whenever you are in a family gathering, ask questions related to health.
- Gather the death certificates of your relatives and look for the cause of death.
- Collect information related to medical conditions and disease onset of your grandparents, father, mother, siblings, aunts, uncles, nephews, and nieces.
- Make a list of their ethnic backgrounds.
- When you have all the medical data, family history, share it with your physician.
Time to bring the doctor in the loop
It is wise to share your family history with your general physician as soon as possible. After running some basic tests such as blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, your doctor would be able to assess the status of your case. If the doctor can detect a pattern of heart disease, then instead of keep on going with more tests, your doctor will initiate the treatment and would even recommend some healthy lifestyle choices.
As we have already discussed that apart from genetics, some factors increase the risk of getting a heart-related problem. So instead of worrying about factors that you can’t change, let’s focus on some healthy alterations.
Taking the matter in your own hands
You can’t alter or escape your family history, but you can make changes that help you achieve a healthy lifestyle.
Say no to tobacco: When you have a sword of family heart disease hanging over your head, then smoking is suicide. When it comes to the heart, the worst thing you can do is smoking. So from now onwards, say no to cigarettes, vape, and chewing tobacco.
Exercise: Your body is a holy temple, treat it as such. Make it a habit to spare at least 30 minutes from your tough daily routine to exercise. You don’t specifically have to go to the gym; an aerobic dance would do as well.
Blood Pressure and Cholesterol levels: If you have experienced fluctuation in the numbers, then it is a must to keep your blood pressure and sugar levels in check. A diet plan and constant monitoring help you achieve the set target. Plus, if the numbers are off the charts, then a prescribed medicine would help.
Weight: Getting in shape and losing some extra fat would help keep heart diseases far away from you. Obesity increases the chances of getting heart diseases.
Live a stress-free life: Physical health is important, but mental health is important too. Too much stress can also trigger a serious heart condition.
Consider all of these factors very carefully because harmful genes might be dormant in your body, and harmful and inappropriate health standards might trigger them. So before you go on and put all the blame on your parents and ancestors and their genes, know you can still take the road to a healthy lifestyle.
South Florida Cardiovascular Specialist can help you stay away from heart diseases, even when you have a diseased family history. This facility can even provide a detailed overview of your family history, and if, unfortunately, diagnosed with a deadly heart disease, they can refer you to a qualified cardiologist. Apart from this, it also gives a roadmap of a healthy lifestyle. If you’re struggling with problems such as depression, stress, or any mental strain, it also offers help and support in these situations. South Florida Cardiovascular Specialist offers multiple techniques that can help the clients or patients relieve all the stress and focus on the matter at hand more vividly.
Lastly, if you are aware of a serious heart condition in your family and are even living a stress-free lifestyle, then getting in touch with a physician or a cardiologist as soon as possible is wise. So, let go of that burger or that cigarette, gather your family history, and get your life back on a healthy track.
