Common Heart Problems and What You Can Do to Prevent Them

Our heart is responsible for pumping blood that’s rich in nutrients throughout our body. This is the reason why there is a need for prompt intervention when one is diagnosed with a heart problem or condition. There is a wide array of cardiovascular diseases that can develop from many different factors, such as an unhealthy lifestyle or even from inevitable ones such as age, sex, or personal genetic history. In worst case scenarios, such as a heart attack or a heart failure, surgery and other more invasive procedures may be required.

Fortunately, the cards are not stacked against us for there are a lot of ways to prevent common heart problems.

Proper diet

We often hear the quote: You are what you eat. This simply means that the food you put in your table greatly impacts your health. While you could choose to consume healthy choices to reduce your risk of getting a heart disease, our busy schedules and on-the-go mentality sometimes makes us settle with fast food, packed snacks, and other instant food products. And these are a bad combination for the heart.

What you can do instead is to change your food selection to fruits, vegetables, nuts, fish rich in oil, whole grains rich in fiber, seeds and legumes. If possible, reduce your intake of red meat for it’s also one of the main source of saturated fat, which is responsible for raising cholesterol levels in your blood. If you can’t remove meat from your diet, choose lean cuts instead. When it comes to milk, choose fat-free or low-fat products. When it comes to planning your diet, two of the known food plans you could check are the Mediterranean diet and the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating schedule.

Aside from choosing healthier food, regulating your alcohol intake could also take your prevention measures to better heights.

Regular health checks

Visiting your doctor regularly for overall checkups should tell you a lot about your current health status. If you’re a bit suspicious of almost having a heart problem, then it’s best to go to a heart specialist who can help you deal with your condition better.

Oftentimes, your doctor will suggest for you to do regular blood pressure monitoring at home, which can be done through a portable BP apparatus. While obtaining blood pressure is an easy task that even non-health professionals can do, doctors may use the invasive approach of blood pressure measurement using an IBP apparatus, especially in case of critical care or in certain emergency situations. Doing so helps the healthcare team to obtain more accurate and up-to-date blood pressure records.

Healthy lifestyle

Proper diet alone may not keep you away from heart problems. It is best to pair it with regular physical activity, more specifically with aerobic exercise. Doing so is not only good for keeping blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control, but also helps reduce weight and elevate your energy level. Anything that makes your heart pump a bit faster can be good exercise. May it be walking or swimming starting at about 20 to 30 minutes, three to four times per week, keeping an active lifestyle will surely keep your health in check.

When talking about heart problem prevention, no amount of smoking is acceptable. The act itself increases blood pressure by making the heart pump oxygen faster throughout your body. Other chemicals found in cigarettes and tobacco can cause damage to your heart and blood vessels.

It’s never too late to take care of your heart. Making smart choices right now will surely lead you to a long happy and fulfilling life—and your heart will thank you for it!