How Heart Health Can Affect Your Life
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States. It’s estimated that 1 in 4 deaths each year are due to heart disease, yet many people are unaware of the true causes or signs of this often-silent killer. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to help keep your heart healthy, and today we’re going to take a look at some of the most important ones that you can start implementing today!
5 ways heart health affects your daily life
Your heart is one of the most important organs in your body. It’s responsible for pumping blood throughout your body, which delivers oxygen and nutrients to your cells. So, it’s no surprise that taking care of your heart health is important for overall health and well-being. Here are five ways heart health can affect your daily lifelifelifelife -Heart attacks: A heart attack occurs when a blockage stops the flow of blood to an area of your heart muscle. If untreated, this causes permanent damage to the affected muscle and sometimes death.
-Heart disease: The most common type of cardiovascular disease is atherosclerosis, also known as hardening or furring up of arteries due to plaque buildup. When plaques develop over time, they restrict the space inside your artery. Less blood gets through the narrowed opening and heart tissue doesn't get enough oxygen and other essential substances like food or hormones. Atherosclerosis gradually progresses until you have a serious medical condition called coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD may cause chest pain called angina if there's not enough oxygen getting to your heart muscles
-Heartburn: If you're experiencing symptoms such as indigestion, chest pain, difficulty swallowing, nausea or vomiting after eating fatty foods or other meals with a lot of acid then you might be suffering from gastroereflux disease (GERD)
-Angina: Pain caused by not enough oxygen getting to your heart musclesmusclesmusclesmuscles musclesmusclesmusclesmusclesmuscle -This type of pain is often relieved by rest and certain medicationsmedications . Sometimes angina is so severe that a person needs surgery or has to undergo open-heart surgery. If you're experiencing these types of symptoms, it's important to see your doctordoctor as soon as possible. That way, you can start living healthier and avoid developing more serious conditions. What should you do? There are plenty of lifestyle changes that can help reduce your risk of heart disease. Make sure to stay active, eat healthy, and take control of your stress levels by exercising regularly, learning how to manage stress better, or talking about what stresses you out with friends or family members who care about you. These simple lifestyle changes will go a long way towards helping improve your heart health! Check out the infographic below for more information on heart health. 2. Diet affects weight loss efforts
3. Insufficient exercise can lead to weight gain
4. Lack of sleep impacts appetite regulation
5. Stressed can trigger emotions that increase cravingscravingscravingscravings , such as depression, anxiety, and irritability. This can make you crave unhealthy foods that provide comfort or pleasure but don't offer any nutrition. Stress can also prevent you from making good choices. And finally, chronic stress can put your heart at risk of a stroke -Strokes: Strokes occur when the blood supply to the brain is cut off because of a clot or bleeding within or around the brain. The lack of oxygen to the brain results in sudden paralysis, inability to speak, weakness on one side of the body and sometimes even death
1. Cardiovascular Disease is preventable.
Ways to boost your heart health
1. Eating a healthy diet is one of the best ways to boost your heart health. Focus on eating plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.
2. Exercise is another great way to keep your heart healthy. Just 30 minutes of moderate exercise each day can help reduce yoisk of heart disease.
3. Quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do for your heart health. If you smoke, quitting is the best thing you can do for your health. Smoking damages your blood vessels which reduces blood flow to all parts of your body including your heart. Nicotine also triggers an increase in adrenaline levels that cause blood pressure to rise which increases the workload on the heart. Your lungs work harder when you are smoking as well because they have to work extra hard to provide enough oxygen to your body. Studies show that smokers are twice as likely as nonsmokers to die from coronary artery disease or other heart-related illnesses before age 65. You should not start smoking if you don't already smoke. You should also make sure to quit if you already smoke. You should try different methods until you find the right one for yourself so that it will be easier for you to quit. Lastly, if someone smokes around you, ask them not to! Even secondhand smoke can be dangerous for people with asthma or lung diseases like COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Secondhand smoke is made up of tiny particles that get into the air we breathe. Breathing these particles can lead to irritation of the airways and coughing, especially among children who spend more time indoors. There's no level of secondhand smoke that's safe; even small amounts can hurt those who suffer from respiratory problems like asthma or COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). What is COPD? Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a term used to describe a group of chronic lung conditions that limit the airflow and make breathing difficult. The major types of COPD are emphysema and chronic bronchitis. People who have emphysema have less elasticity in their alveoli sacs, making it harder for air to enter their lungs during inhalation. Less air entering the lungs means less oxygen coming into the bloodstream.
The result is difficulty breathing, wheezing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath. Emphysema often worsens over time without treatment or may worsen after exposure to pollutants in the environment such as cigarette smoke or smog. Chronic bronchitis is characterized by inflammation of the lining of the large airways - usually caused by frequent exposure to irritants like cigarette smoke, allergens, cold air, or dust. Common symptoms include persistent cough and phlegm production. COPD is the third leading cause of death in the United States. It is estimated that 12 million Americans currently have the condition, but only half of them know they have it. We hope this article has helped you understand what some of the risks associated with heart health are and how to stay healthy. Be sure to follow the three steps: eat a healthy diet, exercise, and stop smoking.
Finally, if you're overweight, aim to lose weight through proper diet and exercise. Overweight adults face an increased risk for cardiovascular disease compared to adults who maintain normal body weight. Overweight children can also be at risk for type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure (hypertension), and heart disease later in life if not addressed early on. Quitting smoking will help get your lung function back so that you can breathe better. You should also visit your doctor to ensure that you have not developed any new health problems. Quitting smoking is the first step, and it will help improve your heart health. Secondly, if you are overweight, losing weight will also help your heart health. Thirdly, you should have a doctor checkup to see if you have developed any new health problems. Lastly, you should be eating a healthy diet and exercising.
New reasons to care about heart health
Most people know that heart health is important, but they may not realize just how much it can affect their lives. Here are some new reasons to care about your heart health-Heart disease is the leading cause of death in America
-A recent study found that adults with high blood pressure who had more than a five point difference in systolic blood pressure (the top number) between sitting and standing experienced a nearly three times greater risk of developing dementia
-High cholesterol was associated with an increased risk for death from all causes, including cancer and respiratory diseases
-Another study found a link between cardiovascular disease and erectile dysfunctiondysfunction - yet another study linked diabetes to poor vascular function
-The good news? Good choices can lower your risk. By maintaining a healthy weight, following a nutritious diet, getting enough exercise and avoiding tobacco use, you can lower your risk of having a stroke or coronary heart disease. Find out what’s right for you by talking to your doctor. You'll be glad you did! Many studies have shown that better heart health can increase life expectancy and help prevent other conditions like arthritis, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, breast cancer and depression. With so many benefits of good heart health on the line, why wouldn't you make changes to keep your body healthy? Just one simple thing like eating healthier or walking more each day could make a big difference in your long-term well-being! It doesn't take much to get started: try adding just one small change into your daily routine every week and build up from there. For example, swap unhealthy snacks like potato chips for an apple. As you get used to the changes you're making, move onto something else -- whether it's taking a walk at lunchtime or replacing butter with olive oil when cooking dinner tonight! Start small and work your way up. And remember: even if you start too little, you can always go back to it later. It won't happen overnight, but changing your habits over time will help keep your heart happy for years to come!
Cardiovascular diseases are also called cerebrovascular diseases as they affect our brain or spinal cord along with other parts of our body. These cerebrovascular diseases include cerebral infarction (commonly known as stroke), intracerebral hemorrhage (bleeding within brain tissue), intracranial haemorrhage (bleeding within skull cavity) etc. They are divided according to where they occur, either affecting blood vessels outside our brain or those inside it. They cause blood clots, artery blockages and bleeding in our brain which results in death of brain cells causing severe damage resulting in different types of neurological deficits including loss of vision, paralysis etc., depending on area involved. Examples of the diseases are
1. Ischemic stroke - This occurs due to interruption of blood supply to brain, most commonly due to a blood clot in an artery. Symptoms are sudden headache, confusion, weakness or numbness on one side of the body and speech difficulty or difficulty understanding speech. Treatment includes medications that dissolve blood clots such as TPA (tissue plasminogen activator) and anticoagulants like aspirin, warfarin and heparin.
2. Intracerebral hemorrhage - This is caused by ruptured blood vessel in brain with sudden onset of symptoms like headache, vomiting or difficulty speaking. Treatment is mostly supportive and may involve blood transfusion or surgery to stop bleeding. 3. Intracranial hemorrhage - This is due to rupture of a blood vessel in the brain with sudden onset of headache, vomiting or difficulty speaking. The treatment involves supportive care, usually including a blood transfusion or surgery to stop the bleeding. 4. Subarachnoid hemorrhage - This type of cerebrovascular disease happens due to rupture of an artery on the surface of the brain and leads to sudden headache, nausea and vomiting with fever and sometimes neck stiffness. Treatment is supportive with monitoring for signs of further bleeding like seizure, decreased consciousness etc. 5.
20 signs you have poor heart health
1. You have high blood pressure. 2. You have high cholesterol. 3. You have diabetes. 4. You are overweight or obese. 5. You don't exercise regularly. 6. You smoke cigarettes. 7. You have a family history of heart diseased. 9. You have experienced chest pain (angina). 10. You suffer from sleep apnea. 11. You have atrial fibrillation. 12. You often experience rapid and irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). 13. You experience shortness of breath, especially with exertion or when lying down. 14. You've had more than one heart attack, stroke, and/or bypass surgery 15 16 17 18 19 20 . The list goes on. It's time to make changes in your life! Make a healthy lifestyle change and live longer. Start by making healthier food choices. Stop smoking, start exercising and stop overeating. Be sure to check out some other articles on my blog that talk about different ways you can help maintain good heart health. Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide so it is important to take care of your heart health. Remember, we all want to live long lives so it is crucial that we take care of our hearts! Make healthier food choices, get regular exercise, be less sedentary and lose weight if needed. Check out some other posts on my blog for even more tips on maintaining good heart health! Pregnant women need to also focus on their heart health.