August 29, 2013 by Bukola Adebayo
The holy book says, “Guard your heart jealously, because out of it comes the good things of life.”
Medical experts agree with this golden
advice. They say these words of wisdom apply literally and figuratively
to how we should protect our heart from danger in our day-to-day
activities.
They note that protecting your heart
goes beyond avoiding heartbreak or running away from sin and Satan; and
stress that a healthy lifestyle is the ultimate way to reduce one’s
chances of developing heart-related diseases.
A cardiologist (heart specialist) with
the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Dr. Jane Ajuluchukwu,
says what an individual does daily would determine whether he/she would
develop health complications like diabetes, stroke or kidney failure in
future.
She notes that protecting your heart
involves reducing your risks for cardiovascular diseases that could kill
you before your time.
Doctors on WebMD.com say if you
want to enjoy your pension allowances or be present at the ceremony to
mark your 50th birthday and not die suddenly of a heart attack, cardiac
arrest or cardiovascular diseases, some habits must go. They include the
following:
Smoking
A cardiologist and medical director of
the New York University Women’s Heart Programme, Nieca Goldberg, says a
major cause of heart disease is smoking.
Goldberg says smoking raises blood pressure, causes blood clots, and makes it harder to exercise.
Again, the American Heart Association warns that smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in the world.
Experts warn that even though it may be
one of the most difficult habits to quit, the rewards of stopping
smoking are perhaps the greatest and most immediate.
“When you toss the smokes, your heart
disease risk goes down within just a few days of quitting. Within a
year, your risk is cut by half. After 10 years of living smoke-free,
it’s as if you never smoked at all,” the scientists assure.
Ignoring that chest pain
Goldberg, who, in her book entitled,
Complete Guide to Women’s Health, warns that when your heart literally
aches and you don’t know why, it’s time to get it checked out.
“If you have chest pains while working,
walking, or exercising, that’s a red flag. But if it happens after a
heavy meal, it’s more likely to be your stomach causing trouble.
“If you feel like an elephant is sitting
on your chest and you start sweating, it is an urgent matter; go to a
doctor or, better still, rush to the hospital. It is a sign of heart
attack.
“Heart pain can feel more like a
pressure rather than actual pain. People tend to feel it in the front of
their chest, with the sensation sometimes extending into the shoulders,
up into the jaw, or down the left arm,” Goldberg warns.
Eating with abandon
Ajuluchukwu notes that being obese or
being overweight contributes to heart disease, heart failure, and a
shorter lifespan. She says careless eating, especially in the 21st
century where junk foods are readily available, may be injurious to your
heart.
She adds, “Aim for a diet rich in
fruits, vegetables and nuts; low in saturated fat and cholesterol; and
with almost no trans fats. This does not mean you need to avoid fat
altogether. Fats found in fish, olives and olive oil, nuts and avocados
are heart-healthy and should be eaten in moderation.”
Avoiding the hospital
If the sight of injections or drugs is what is keeping you from the hospital, you may want to have a rethink.
Goldberg says when you don’t get checked
out regularly by a doctor, you might not realise if you have some of
the silent heart risk factors that are hard to detect.
“Some of the most common, symptom-free
cardiovascular issues are also some of the most easily treated, such as
high cholesterol and high blood pressure.
“If the cost of a yearly medical
check-up is holding you back, look for where they are doing free
screening or tests in your community or local government. In fact, you
can save a portion of your earnings for it,” She counsels.
Being a couch potato
Goldberg in her book notes that lack of physical exercise increases an individual’s risk for heart diseases.
Goldberg says, “Physical activity simply
translates into living longer. Exercise helps lower blood pressure,
improves cholesterol levels, encourages weight loss, benefits blood
vessel function, and cuts stress, among other things.
“Even if you haven’t been active for the
last 20 years, it’s never too late to make an impact with exercise.
Just be sure to talk to a doctor before you start a new fitness regimen.
Tell your doctor exactly what you plan to do, or ask his or her advice,
if you’re looking for suggestions.”
Neglecting your expanding waistline
If your belt size is slowly getting bigger, that’s something to worry about, physicians warn.
They say that excess fat tissue in the
midsection (giving you an apple-shape figure) could mean you are already
developing metabolic syndrome — a group of health problems that can
increase your risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes, through the
hardening of the arteries, insulin resistance, and inflammation.
“A hefty waistline is linked to doubling
your risk of heart disease,” Goldberg says. That’s good reason to
redouble your efforts to get in shape through a healthy lifestyle. It’s
not just about your clothes size.
Letting your blood pressure run amok
“A good way to wreck your heart is to leave your blood pressure elevated and untreated,” Goldberg notes.
She says allowing blood pressure to get
out of hand makes the heart work harder and to enlarge, leading to heart
failure; while it can also cause hardened arteries, thus raising your
risks for heart attack, stroke, and other problems.
Physicians say even though symptoms of
high blood pressure are rare, it’s relatively easy to diagnose. You can
even check it yourself with a home blood pressure monitor. Diet,
exercise, and medications (if needed) can also be used to treat high
blood pressure. So, make the decision to live right.
