Remember these points to keep your Heart Healthy!
Heart attacks are taking lives of many people around the globe. Certain preventive measures can help to reduce the risk of developing a heart disease which today, is becoming the main cause of death amid people.
A heart attack is said to happen when the flow of the oxygen-rich blood to a particular section of heart suddenly stops. This usually happens when the flow of oxygen and blood gets disrupted by a blood clot in a coronary artery, causing injury to the heart muscle.
The major symptoms of a heart attack in the victim are discomfort in chest, nausea, shortness of breath, dizziness and pain in the upper back & arm (mostly, left). If you or anyone around you experiences any such signs, immediate medical care must be provided. If blood flow is not at all restored within the time period of 20 to 40 minutes, the damaged muscle starts dying, which explains the urgency of medical attention required during such events. The basic diagnosis that doctors run to analyse the symptoms and prevent further damage are ECG, cardiac enzyme tests and chest x-ray. 80% of the premature heart attacks and even strokes are preventable.
To keep your heart healthy and to avoid such attacks and strokes, remember these points:
Acknowledge the risk of heart diseases
Firstly, the older you are, the greater your risk. Secondly, your genetic structure plays a major role in your vulnerability to heart dysfunction. So, formulate your lifestyle accordingly.
Maintain a healthy diet
A balanced diet is always said to be highly important for your physical and mental fitness. Consume foods with low salt, sugar and fat content. Eat lots of fruits, vegetables, fibre-rich whole grains, pulses, lean meat and fish.
Make sure you exercise regularly
A minimum amount of the entire physical activity is essential for everyone. A brisk walk, some cardio workout, or any outdoor activity that interests you, is a must to be undertaken daily.
Negate tobacco products consumption
The consumption of tobacco products like cigarettes or gutka increases the risk of heart and lung disease, and stroke. Exposure to some second-hand tobacco smoke is as well dangerous. Avoid such products completely.
Maintain healthy blood pressure
Hypertension, is considered the “the silent killer” as it shows no signs of development in indiviuals . To keep a check on it, ensure that your blood pressure is around 120/80 mmHg (systolic being no more than 130 and diastolic being no more than 95).
Keep your cholesterol (blood lipids) level in check
Abnormal or high blood lipids (fats) is a major causal factor of cardiovascular diseases. Your blood lipids include the LDL (bad cholesterol), HDL (good cholesterol) and triglycerides. The lower your LDL will be and the higher your HDL will be, better your prognosis will be. The ideal proportion of the over-all cholesterol to HDL cholesterol is 3.0 – 3.5. If higher, you need to take the necessary measures to get it under control.
Keep your blood sugar level in check
A diabetic patient is 2 to 4 times more prone to cardiovascular diseases than any non-diabetic person. Reason being that hypertension, abnormal blood lipids, and obesity occur more frequently among people with diabetes. If you are diabetic, there is a high probability of you experiencing the ‘silent’ heart attack. Due to the damage caused to the nerves, you may not feel the typical chest pain.
Limit your calorie intake
Obesity is the next big factor of cardiovascular disease. Being overweight, is an invitation to a lot of diseases into your body.
Avoid stress
Stress is the most dominant factor behind developing vascular diseases. It is said that a person who is by nature cheerful and has a positive attitude towards life is less likely to experience a cardiac event. So, with highest priority, manage your stress and anger to keep them at bay.
High cholesterol is estimated to cause 56% of global cardiovascular diseases. This is an alarming figure, making cholesterol levels the major factor for heart attacks. Keep your healthy and in check! Have your cholesterol levels measured regularly with Dr Lal PathLabs’ Book Total Cholesterol Test Now
