Heart disease is the major cause of death in the U.S., but it isn’t inevitable. Though you can’t alter some risk factors like your family history, age, or sex, there are various ways you can lower your risks of heart disease. In this article today, we’ll put you through various ways you can prevent getting affected by deadly coronary heart disease and live a healthy life today!
What is Heart Disease?
Coronary heart disease is the most common type of heart disease in the U.S. It occurs when a waxy substance called plaque builds up in the heart’s arteries. This buildup restricts the blood flow and may result in a heart attack. Fortunately, this disease is highly preventable.
What Are The Symptoms Of The Coronary Heart Disease?
Chest pain is the most common sign of cardiovascular disease. Angina means that your heart isn’t receiving enough blood. Blood clots and burst blood vessels cause heart attacks and strokes. Although heart disease is not contagious, certain factors can increase your risk of developing it.
In addition, the symptoms of the coronary heart disease may vary between genders. Men are most likely to experience chest pain while women are more likely to experience other symptoms along with the chest pain. Here are the symptoms you should look out for:
- Shortness of breath (difficulty breathing).
- Pain in your legs or arm if the blood vessels around those parts are narrowed.
- Pain around the neck, jaw, throat, upper abdomen and back.
What are The Causes of the Coronary Heart Disease?
Heart disease is a group of conditions affecting the cardiovascular system. It affects the heart and blood vessels in a variety of ways. In some cases, people who suffer from the condition do not experience symptoms. In other cases, the disease may have been inherited. If this is the case, there are several ways to prevent heart disease and improve the condition of your heart.
Certain lifestyle choices and medicines can lower your risk of coronary artery disease. Your primary care physician can advise which lifestyle changes will help you reduce your risk. Some of these include being overweight, smoking, and drinking alcohol. High blood pressure may increase your risk of developing heart disease, and smoking is linked to increased heart attack risk. Smoking increases the risk of heart disease, but it also increases the amount of carbon monoxide that is released into your bloodstream. Ultimately, smoking will reduce the amount of oxygen your heart receives.
How Can I Prevent Getting Affected By The Coronary Heart Disease?
Keep your heart healthy with these seven tips for boosting its health
1. Regular Exercise
There are several reasons why exercising regularly can help prevent heart disease. A regular workout will strengthen your heart muscles, allowing them to pump blood more efficiently and continue to work at optimal efficiency. Exercise will also help keep blood vessels and arteries flexible, allowing proper blood flow. In addition, it may reduce the risk of recurrent heart attacks.
Research from the University of South Carolina and the University of Maryland Medical Center has shown that sedentary people are more likely to develop heart disease. Sedentary individuals also have a higher risk of high blood pressure and high triglyceride levels. Exercising regularly can boost your heart’s capacity to pump blood and increase HDL cholesterol. It may also increase your lung capacity and improve your mood.
If you’re new to exercise, your healthcare provider can help you find an exercise program that’s right for you. Performing moderate-intensity leisure activities can lower your risk of coronary heart disease by up to 14 percent. However, the more you exercise, the better. Even ten-minute intervals can help protect your heart. Always talk with your healthcare provider before you begin any new exercise program.
Always warm up your muscles before exercising. After completing an activity, check your pulse. If your heartbeat is fast, irregular, or palpitating, stop the activity and check your pulse again. If you are still experiencing symptoms after 15 minutes, you may want to stop and rest. Taking breaks between exercise sessions is an important part of your overall health. If you’re not up for intense exercise, try going to an indoor mall or gym.
2. Avoid Smoking Or Tobacco Use
Smoking is one of the leading causes of death in the United States. It leads to higher risks for heart disease, blood clots, and stroke. It also reduces the amount of oxygen in the blood, making the heart work harder. It is estimated that cigarette smokers have a two to a three-fold higher risk of developing heart disease than nonsmokers. Smoking is also hazardous to others; secondhand smoke increases the risk of stroke by twenty to thirty percent.
Cigarette smoke contains chemicals that damage the lining of blood vessels, making them more elastic and more susceptible to blockage. When this happens, plaque builds up in the arteries, increasing the risk of a heart attack. Additionally, nicotine in cigarettes increases LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood, increasing the risk of plaque buildup in the arteries. The resulting blockage causes an attack or heart failure.
You will dramatically reduce your risk of a heart attack by quitting smoking. Quitting will also reduce the risk of death from heart disease and other chronic illnesses. It is important to consider the reasons that motivate you to quit smoking. Decide what motivates you to quit smoking, and set a date within the next seven days. Try to gradually reduce the number of cigarettes until you reach Quit Day. Once you’ve decided to quit, you can replace your smoking habit with healthier activities that you enjoy.
3. Eat a Healthy Diet
While many people believe that cutting out processed meats and animal fats will prevent heart disease, the reality is that the opposite is true. While replacing animal fats with healthy carbohydrates can improve health, this method will not significantly reduce your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. The body can get all the sugar it needs naturally from food. Avoid consuming excess amounts of refined sugars or butter, or margarine. Instead, use healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, nuts, or seeds.
Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits. Fruits are low-calorie sources of vitamins and minerals. They also contain dietary fibre and may help prevent cardiovascular disease. Eating more fruit and vegetables will help you avoid higher-calorie foods, too. Keep fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator and use them in recipes instead of sugary snacks. Incorporate whole-wheat flour and other whole-wheat products into your diet.
Choose low-fat dairy products and lean meat. These are low-fat sources of protein and contain no cholesterol. Low-fat milk and vegetables also contain more fibre than meat. You can replace meat with low-fat alternatives, including skinless chicken and skim milk. By choosing the healthiest sources, you can reduce your cholesterol intake and reduce your risk of heart disease. The same holds true for your daily intake of dairy products.
Whole grains are a good source of fibre and nutrients. They help regulate blood pressure and heart health. You can also substitute whole grains for refined grain products. You should also limit your intake of trans fats and saturated fats. These fats cause plaques to build in the arteries, increasing your risk of heart disease.
4. Maintain a Healthy Weight
A healthy weight is vital in preventing heart disease. Excess weight causes change in the body and increase your risk of heart disease. In addition, excess weight leads to elevated blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol levels. These changes are often silent but may be dangerous. Overweight individuals also face a higher risk for diabetes and sleep apnea, which are all linked to increased risk for heart disease.
Losing weight does not have to be a drastic change in your lifestyle. Instead, aim modestly and realistically. Maintaining a healthy weight is easier and more likely to stay off than dramatic weight loss. You should also switch to a healthier diet to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables. A balanced diet also helps prevent heart disease.
5. Have Quality Sleep
Lack of sleep may increase blood sugar, which can lead to diabetes. It may also increase calcium buildup in the heart arteries.
Research indicates that inadequate sleep may increase heart rate. Patients who have difficulty sleeping frequently report experiencing heart palpitations and irregular heartbeat. It is also possible that nightmares might cause heart palpitations. Fortunately, most sleep apnea treatments are safe, effective, and inexpensive. The best way to get quality sleep is to discuss your situation with your doctor.
There are many steps you can take to improve your heart’s health. Exercise, a healthy diet, and proper sleep can all help. But perhaps the easiest step is to start improving your sleep patterns. One study in the journal Circulation found a strong link between healthy sleep and reduced risk of heart failure. People with healthy sleep patterns were significantly less likely to develop heart failure. In addition, people who had regular sleep patterns snored less and did not experience frequent insomnia were found to be at a lower risk of heart failure.
While it is not entirely clear how much sleep affects the risk of heart disease, it is important to get the recommended amount of sleep. According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, adults need seven to eight hours of sleep a night. But many Americans do not get enough sleep and are often unable to achieve this goal. In fact, the National Sleep Foundation reported that only 35% of Americans achieve this recommended amount of sleep.
6. Go ForRegular Health Checkups
Routine health checkups can help detect early signs of heart disease. Depending on your age and medical history, your doctor may recommend certain tests, like heart scans, as part of a comprehensive physical exam. The goal of a regular checkup is to provide the most up-to-date information about your heart condition, so you can prevent and treat any problems before they develop.
According to the National Institutes of Health, one person dies from heart disease every 36 seconds. In the U.S. alone, over 17 million people die from cardiovascular disease. While heart disease is a leading cause of death for both men and women, many people do not know they have it until a heart attack or failure.
Your doctor will check your blood pressure, cholesterol, and sugar levels during these checkups. He will also examine your risk of developing heart disease in five years. Your doctor will develop a plan of action based on these results. Your doctor may refer you to a cardiologist for further testing if necessary.
7. Stress Management is Essential
Studies have shown that periods of excessive stress increase the risk for heart disease. They also show that stress harms a person’s overall health, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, physical inactivity, and overeating. Chronic stress has been identified as one of the biggest risk factors for heart disease. Although there are several effective methods of managing stress, few people take advantage of them.
People with chronic stress can damage their hearts. People constantly worrying about losing their jobs are 20 percent more likely to develop heart disease. Even those who are happy with their jobs can be chronically stressed and find it difficult to balance work and personal life. Even stress from fun events like the World Cup soccer event increases the risk of a heart attack.
Stress management techniques are a good way to prevent heart disease and keep your body healthy. You can try to manage your stress through specific strategies and techniques. For example, psychologists recommend that you adopt things from the physical, mental, and spiritual categories.
CONCLUSION
The coronary heart disease is caused by plaque buildup in the arteries. If left untreated, plaque can rupture and cause blood clots. As a result, the heart muscle can become less elastic and less effective. Several factors may cause plaque buildup in the arteries, including smoking and unhealthy lifestyle habits. Preventing all these effects is pretty simple. By just having a change in your lifestyle, you’ll definitely be on the right track.