Six Simple Ways to Improve Your Heart Health
Heart disease is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It affects both males and females equally. Heart disease relates to any ailment that affects the heart and its ability to function properly. More broadly, cardiovascular disease affects the heart and other parts of the body that work with it. This includes the blood vessels. There are many causes of heart disease, but there are also simple ways to avoid it. Here are six simple ways to improve your heart condition and reduce your risk of developing heart disease for a better heart health.
1. Watch Your Weight
Excess fat and obesity have been linked with heart problems and related conditions. Excess fat usually raises the level of bad cholesterol in the blood. This may block the arteries, the blood vessel that takes blood away from the heart. The deposit of plague caused by the cholesterol in the blood vessel can make it difficult for blood to circulate properly in the heart, leading to atherosclerosis, heart attack and other heart-related problems.
Also, obesity can increase the risk of diabetes. According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), people who have diabetes are twice at risk to develop heart problems. Therefore, one of the ways to keep your heart healthy is by watching your weight. Avoid being overweight. If you are obese, try some weight reduction methods to lose weight and return to normal weight.
2. Avoid Smoking and Excessive Alcohol
Changing your lifestyle may be the key to strengthen your heart, especially if you smoke and drink alcohol heavily. These two substances are not suitable for your heart. Tobacco has never been good for any organ in the body. There is evidence that smoking can damage your heart. Therefore, to maintain a good heart condition, you should avoid smoking. It would help if you also reduce your alcohol and caffeine consumption.
Indeed, it is difficult to stop an addiction. If you are already addicted to smoking or alcohol, you may need help to quit. Luckily, there are many support groups that can help you quit smoking and alcohol addiction. You can search for those around you. If you need help, you can talk with your doctor.
3. Exercise and Physical Activities
Exercises are good for your heart muscles. It strengthens them and makes them function better. Scheduling a regular exercise section can go a long way to improve your heart condition. Just as you can use exercise to build your other muscles, so you can use it to strengthen your heart. If you are not sure of the right exercise for you, you can talk with a professional to recommend the best workouts for improving your heart condition.
Apart from conventional exercises, regular physical activities are good for the heart. Hence if your day job involves a lot of physical activities, you should know that it is also helping to strengthen your heart. On the other hand, a sedentary lifestyle is dangerous for your heart health. Therefore, to keep your heart health in good condition, you must avoid an inactive lifestyle. Keep yourself busy and active, and you will make your heart pump better as it gets healthier.
4. Balanced Diet
Your diet is an integral part of your healthcare. Therefore, you must eat foods that are good for the heart to keep your heart in good condition. You must also avoid foods that can lead to an excessive gain in weight. Excess cholesterol is not suitable for your heart. Hence you must avoid food that has too much cholesterol. Among the foods to avoid are foods with too much saturated fats, trans fat, and sodium.
If you are obese or feel you are adding weight in excess, you can have a meal plan to lose weight. You can also visit a dietician for assistance on diets that can help you lose weight.
5. Proper Stress Management
Excessive stress has been linked with high blood pressure. High blood pressure occurs when the pressure exerted by the blood on the artery walls is too high. It is also called hypertension and is responsible for many dangerous health conditions. High blood pressure is hazardous to the heart if not treated on time. It may lead to heart attack, heart failure, and other chronic ailments.
Studies also show that people that are suffering from chronic stress usually give in to alcoholism and smoking. This can negatively affect the heart. To keep your heart healthy, you should avoid stress as much as possible. You must investigate the cause of your stress and try your best to deal with it. In some cases, change of habit, good sleep, regular exercise, and meditation may be enough to relieve and overcome stress. However, in more severe cases, you may need medication and therapy. You may also need to visit a mental health counsellor. There are also support groups that can help you if you are suffering from chronic stress.
6. Regular Check-Ups
Unfortunately, most of the causes of heart problems do not present any symptoms. In many cases, before you notice the signs, the harm has been severely done. Therefore, it would help if you regularly go for a medical check-up. You need to constantly check your blood pressure and be sure it is within the appropriate range. You should also check your blood sugar level as excessive blood sugar can also affect your heart.
Other medical tests to ensure the proper functioning of the heart include blood analysis and urine tests. You can also take a chest x-ray so that you can understand the condition of your chest and heart better.
Since your weight is crucial to your heart health, a BMI test will let you know if you are within the right weight range for your height.
If any of the tests did not give a favorable result, you must seek a professional medical solution immediately. The earlier you start correcting the abnormality, the higher the chance of success and the better for your health. If you suspect anything might be wrong with your heart or notice any abnormality or problem with your heartbeat and other heart-related activities, consult your doctor immediately.
We Can Help You
The heart is a vital organ in the body. You must not delay any treatment related to it. It is also good to consult a professional if you feel anything is wrong. Should you need medical assistance, we can help you.
If you need any medical help concerning your heart or any other part of your body, our team of medical experts are available to assist you. We can also provide counselling and guidance to you on all heart-related issues. Therefore, do not hesitate to contact us today.
Conclusion
Heart disease is among the leading causes of death worldwide. Millions of people in the United States are suffering from this deadly disease. However, there are simple actions you can take to improve your heart health. These actions include avoiding obesity and excessive fat, eating a balanced diet and diet low in saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium, and also avoiding stress. Other steps you can take to strengthen your heart include regular exercise, avoiding a sedentary lifestyle, quitting smoking, and reducing your alcohol intake. It would help if you also go for medical check-ups regularly.
