Heart conditions can be anything from a major inconvenience to something fatal. Heart diseases are the leading cause of death for diverse racial and ethnic groups in the US. Statistically, at least one person dies every 36 seconds from cardiovascular diseases. This puts the numbers to a staggering 655,000 Americans who die each year from heart ailments.
Contrary to popular belief, it’s not just the elderly that need to pay extra attention to their heart’s health. People’s biology can make them more prone to heart diseases even if they are in their mid-20s. This is why having proper cardiac care will be beneficial, regardless of what age you are.
Understanding the potential risks to your heart’s health
Unlike your other organs and internal systems, any damage to your cardiovascular system most likely leads to severe illnesses. If you don’t pay close attention to your heart’s health, you can suffer from these five conditions:
- Hypertension: High blood pressure is the precursor to many cardiac diseases. Since your blood is forcibly hitting your blood vessels’ walls, you can be at risk of strokes or heart attacks. Common causes of hypertension include diabetes, smoking, and high alcohol and salt intake.
- Atherosclerosis: Living an unhealthy lifestyle of bad diets full of fatty food can create cholesterol buildup on your arterial walls. This restricts blood flow and causes higher instances of blood problems like myocardial infarctions or chest pain.
- Cardiomyopathy: Although you can inherit this condition, there are other ways for you to develop cardiomyopathy. It prevents you from pumping blood adequately throughout the rest of your body. These blockages can lead to sudden cardiac arrest or heart failure.
- Heart attack: In layman’s terms, a heart attack happens when fat and cholesterol builds into plaque that can restrict blood flow. This then creates the feeling of pressure or squeezing in your chest, which can also manifest in your limbs, back, neck, and jaw.
- Stroke: Not unlike a heart attack, a stroke is a particular form of plaque blockage that leads to the brain. However, other kinds of stroke can also exist by bleeding brain tissue when your blood vessels burst.
Thankfully, there are several habits you can develop to improve your heart’s health and reduce the risk of experiencing these conditions.
Maintaining proper cardiac care
A considerable part of maintaining your cardiovascular system’s health is having a nutritious diet. Whole grains, fruits, and vegetables are great for your body overall. It’s best to avoid food rich in salty and saturated fats to prevent high blood pressure and cholesterol. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t eat any salty or sweet food. Moderation is the key to maintaining your diet.
Besides optimizing your diet, you should also avoid stressful situations that can aggravate your blood flow. Additionally, cutting down on your smoking and drinking will also keep your blood flow free from contaminants.
Seeking professional guidance for your heart’s health
It’s better to consult your physician if you’ll need to start taking medicine to manage your body’s new needs. If you have congenital heart disease, you need to maintain the medication prescribed by your physician. These lower your blood pressure and cholesterol changes since your cardiovascular system are more prone to experiencing attacks.
Conclusion
Although taking care of your body’s overall condition is essential, you need to be familiar with which parts are more vulnerable. These areas may demand more attention based on your genetics or treatment of your body. It’s best to seek a physician to give you an accurate diagnosis of your body’s current state and how you can maintain or improve it.
If you need a primary care doctor in NJ to assess your body’s condition, our trained physicians are happy to help. Besides giving you the medical attention you need, we also have versatile specialists to treat your specific ailments. Visit us today to receive the medical assistance you need!
