How to Keep Your Heart Healthy

Are you at risk of heart disease? Do you want to know How to Keep Your Heart Healthy? Here you will get your answers. Health is a great blessing of God in this world and without it all happiness is useless and every facility of this world becomes worthless. Our heart occupies the central place in the body. It’s not only a single organ of the circulatory system of the body but it is far more than just a pumping organ for blood. It is connected with the all systems of the body as the heart is closely associated with the digestive and excretory and pulmonary system of the body. in this article you will learn How to Keep Your Heart Healthy?

Why Heart Health Matters: It’s recent research that it is common behavior of the man that the problem in front of the eye is the actual problem to be solved as we are not able to see our heart with the naked eye. That’s why people often ignore signs and symptoms of the body related to the heart. Heart issues mostly appear at the late ages it is another important reason why young people do not give importance to their heart but heart is a key organ of the body and without healthy heart  internal structure of the body collapse that is why doctors emphasis that people should be caring about the quality health of the heart for a healthy life.

The Importance of Heart-Healthy Habits: A healthy lifestyle at any age lessens the chances of heart diseases and a healthy heart is a basic requirement for overall good health. It is recommended by the heart specialists that an adult should make habit of two and a half hour walk every week. It improves the pumping power of the heart and keeps the blood pressure normal. If a person can’t walk, he can dance,  do moderate intensity aerobic exercises or ride a bicycle as a physical activity. Along with it, a balanced diet can also be effective for improving your Heart Health.

Understanding Heart HealthWhat do you know about functioning of heart? This question is quite important because heart is the only organ supplying blood to all parts of body through its vessels. Cardiovascular issues appear often very late when the treatment of the problem becomes very difficult. So to avoid complications it is necessary to understand how your heart is working even when you are feeling normal. There are some suggestions for you that will help you to know the medical condition of your heart. You should check your blood pressure regularly at home. If you are observing fluctuation in your blood pressure you should be examined through an electrocardiogram, Echo-cardiogram, coronary angiogram and exercise stress test etc. after the consultation with your heart specialist.

What is Cardiovascular Health? Mostly when you hear your Doctor talking about your Cardiovascular issue, most of us think that we are have issue in Heart but this is not all true. Cardiovascular is a more broader and general term which covers the both heart as well as blood vessels.When your physician tells you about the cardiovascular health you must keep it in mind that he is talking about your complete circulatory system health which comprises heart, arteries, veins and capillaries and cardiovascular diseases are not the diseases of heart only it includes all the diseases related to the heart and blood vessels like heart failure, heart stroke or arteriosclerosis etc.

Common Heart Problems: It has been observed that due to unhealthy lifestyle, low quality food, water and air pollution, stress conditions, over work and other routine issues, number of heart patients are continuously increasing all over the world.This is an alarming situation which requires an instant care attention to treat otherwise the situation will be even more adverse.There are many heart related problems which are seen commonly in the population. Heart diseases which are common nowadays include Unstable Angina, Heart Attacks, Heart Failure, Inherited Heart Diseases, High Blood Pressure, Valve related issues and Congenital Heart conditions etc.

Risk Factors for Heart Disease: As we all know that the heart related diseases are increasing day by day and it is a big challenge for the health providers to find out the reasons and the factors why heart related diseases are increasing rapidly. Researchers are trying to find out the factors affecting the heart and have found that Due to Smoking, Passive Smoking and Obesity, heart diseases are increasing. It has been found that overeating with unhealthy food containing high proportion of oil, lack of physical activity and unhealthy diet directly and indirectly affects the heart health and increases the risk of deaths even in young people.

Lifestyle Changes for Heart Health

A person can reverse the adverse conditions after suffering from heart diseases by bringing healthy changes in his life. It is advised to use plenty of fresh, fruits along with fresh green vegetables. What to eat and what to avoid is very important if someone really wants to recover Heart Health. Heart patients should strictly avoid processed food items as food high in saturated fat and trans fat increases the chances of heart diseases while foods containing high proportion of fiber and low proportion of saturated fats, trans fat, and cholesterol can prevent further damage. You can make your lifestyle your best defense if you want to save yourself from heart attack and stroke.

A Heart Healthy Diet: Our food plays an important role in maintaining our health externally or internally. Healthy heart also requires healthy food. What is in our food leads us towards health or detract us from the healthy path and puts us on the path where a number of different diseases are already waiting for us to attack.That is why it is said to choose a balanced diet for your Heart Health. A balanced diet is one which supports your heart muscles, decreasing the chance of heart diseases by making a smooth flow in the vessels. Always try to avoid saturated fat as well as high fat dairy products. Cut the amount of sodium salt in your diet and use maximum amount of fiber, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Choosing Nutrient-Rich Foods: For Heart patients the knowledge about foods which strengthen the heart muscles and promote longer life of the heart is really important. Here we are going to discuss with you about all those foods which are important for Heart Health.White meat especially Fish, Salmon, Tuna, and Trout are considered the best against heart diseases.The meats of Pork,Tenderloin and Turkey are also considered safe for heart patients to use according to the prescribed amount by your consultant physician. Other foods which play a supportive role against heart diseases include Eggs, Nuts, Seeds and Soy products. All vegetables are good for the Heart Health but especially Legumes, Beans, Lentils and Black Eyed Peas.

Reducing Salt and Sugar Intake: It has been observed that people using large amounts of sugar and salts suffer from heart problems. Using salt and sugar is the biggest risk factor for heart diseases. Salt causes hypertension and metabolic syndrome while use of large quantities of sugar leads to obesity and arterial plaque that’s why both salt and sugar are bad for Heart Health. You should not take salt and sugary foods if you are suffering from cardiovascular problems. Extra use of sugar and salt is also a risk factor in healthy looking people so if you want to save your life from such risks avoid salt and sugar immediately.

Portion Control:

Daily consumption of calories determine your health if you are taking more calories than your requirement or need than it is obvious that  you are not able to  avoid obesity and if you are obese than you will be at greater risk of  suffering from Heart Attack, Stroke and other heart related issues in near future.To avoid such situation proportion control is a good technique which may help you to avoid cardiovascular diseases  as it allows you a strict handle of calories in your diet of daily consumption. Remember to eat what your body needs to avoid from unnecessary and unhealthy components of food. Add a portion of pasta, rice, cereal, vegetables, and fruit along with meat to make your diet balanced.

Regular Physical Activity: Regular physical activities are good for a healthy heart. Moderate physical exercises improve muscular strength and also enhance the blood flow towards the lungs. It improves oxygen level in the heart muscles as well as body tissues. It also improves stamina and strength of the heart to work and it strengthens the immune system of the body to fight against the diseases. Physical activities are very important. We suggest for you the best physical activities which are Walking, Running, Dancing, Swimming, Yoga and Gardening etc. 

Types of Exercises for Heart Health: Experts suggest some most important exercises you should do absolutely everyday. Some aerobic exercises like Brisk Walking, Cycling, Running and Swimming are effective exercises for your Heart Health. In addition, doing household activities, gardening, cleaning activities and playing with children are also helpful exercises for your Heart Health. A cardiovascular therapist said that getting active will help you to ease your heart issues. Moving your body’s largest muscles are called aerobic exercises. These exercises help your heart and circulatory system to work actively. Aerobic exercises help to control your blood pressure and cholesterol levels. These exercises also assist your body to maintain body weight and limit the risk factors of obesity and diabetes. 

Creating An Exercise Routine: As a beginner, you should plan your workout according to your body’s needs. First of all, plan a 5 day exercise routine and 2 days rest. Most of the people get positive results through this. How to decide on work days and rest days, is a big question. First of all keep in mind that consistency will give you the best result. No matter which days you workout and which days you take rest. Actually consistency is the key to get the best outcomes.

• Select five days for workout.
• Select a proper time in a day and remain fixed to it for taking exercise. Changing in timings can limit the benefits.
• Now plan the workout day by day i.e., 

1. On Monday, A long walk
2. Tuesday, Yoga
3. Wednesday, legs and arm muscles exercises.
4. Thursday, swimming
5. Friday, light body exercises. 

Staying Active at Work: Does physical activity reduce the myocardial infarction risk? YES, physical activity and staying active, will help your heart to be safe from coronary heart diseases. Vigorous aerobic physical activities are also beneficial for heart patients and staying active through physical activity is the best tool for strengthening the heart muscles.

Smoking Cessation: Is discontinuing tobacco smoking helpful for limiting heart disease risk? Most of the people know the answer but this is not so simple because quitting smoking is a very difficult task for smokers. They find it difficult. So, there is a need for smoking cessation to reduce the risk of many health issues including chronic heart diseases and cardiovascular diseases. In this regard, the first thing is willingness of patient and then the attachment with appropriate consultant. The five major steps for interventions are: 

• Ask the patient’s willingness and identify the reasons for smoking.
• Advise the patient to limit the smoking.
• Assess his/her desire and input activity.
• Assist him/her to overcome the difficulties he/she found in achieving this goal.
• Arrange a proper workout plan for the patient and involve him/her in positive activities.

The Dangers of Smoking: Everyone knows that smokers are in more danger of developing heart diseases and strokes than non-smokers. It is obvious that smoking is hazardous to health but the thing you must know about smoking dangers is, it can lead you to death bed because the chemicals found in cigarettes and tobacco are very harmful for the heart and blood vessels. These chemicals cause blockage in arteries and slow down the flow of blood in vessels, this results in heart attack. The hazardous material sticks to the walls of arteries and makes it difficult to pump the blood with regular flow.This causes clogging in arteries. Thus smokers suffer from heart attacks more than non-smokers.

Strategies to Quit Smoking: Although you all know the hazards of smoking but still it is found difficult to quit this habit because the nicotine found in cigarettes has a relaxing effect on brain cells and your central nervous system feels good while using tobacco and nicotine. Nicotine users became addicted very soon because it makes the nerves relax and produce happy sensations in brain cells. So, the smokers need it badly. If you want to quit the smoking habit you will find it a hard job but you have to do this as early as possible otherwise a serious damage to your heart is waiting for you and you are also becoming a source of dangers for your dear ones by passive smoking,

First of all you should identify the reason for smoking cravings. Most of the people addicted to tobacco smoking due to 

• Stress or depression
• Anxiety
• Headache
• Anger
• After meal cravings
• Upset stomach
• Lack of sleep
• Fatigue due to workload.

All these reasons have to be treated in different ways. If You are a stomach patient then consult a physician to treat your stomach issue. For treating after meal craving use something to engage you after meal like any type of candy or mouth freshener mint etc. To control the triggers like anger, anxiety depression and stress make your surroundings comfortable for you. Remove all triggers and stay in close contact with your family members and friends. So that you may discuss your stress feelings immediately. Manage your working routine and add some recreational activities to your routine life.

Managing Stress: We all go through stress conditions during our life. Stress is the leading cause of heart disease. It should be identified and cured as soon as possible. You cannot cure stress, it only can be managed by applying different strategies. We will discuss some tips to reduce stress to improve your Heart Health.

1. Exercise: Taking regular light exercise takes you away from stress. Doctors said that 1 serog tablet used to release stress of a person, is equal to the one hour walk daily. So if  you want to keep your heart healthy, you have to release your stress. You can easily do it through exercise.
2. Yoga or Meditation: It is the time of your isolation. You spend time with yourself and release all your stress by converting negative thoughts into positive ones. So it would be a better way to manage your stress.
3. Writing Strategy: It is the best way to express your feelings. So try it. It would give you the best results. By writing your inner feelings you can release your stress.
4. Lessen Your Workload: In the majority of cases, it is found that over burdened people have more risk of heart problems. Overwork causes stress for physical and mental health. Ultimately Heart Health is disturbed. So try to  make your life easy. Lessen your workload and spend some time for your recreation.
5. Manage Insomnia: Lack of sleep is another cause of stress. So avoid it and try  to keep your mind relaxed before sleeping. Disturbed sleeping routine may harm your mental peace and ultimately you indulge in insomnia which leads you to stress.

Recognizing Stressors: One thing is confirmed that the more you know about your health the more you will be conscious and careful about it. It is your first duty to learn how to identify the triggers or stressors. After identification, you can take the right steps for limiting it. It is not as hard a job as you think. You just have to ponder the situations and incidents which bring anger and anxiety in your mood. You have to understand keenly the causes of your mood swings. You also have to point out the reasons for headaches and stomach ache. By observing yourself and the triggers of stress, you can control those causes which ultimately reduces the chances of being stressed.

Relaxation Techniques: Relaxation techniques actually are important for your Heart Health. Stress is injurious to the heart. And relaxation techniques will help you in stress management. Different methodologies are used as relaxation techniques such as:

• Muscle relaxation
• Yoga
• Listening music
• Deep breath
• Proper medication
• Massage

Mindfulness and Meditation: Engaging yourself in the present and avoiding thinking of future problems, will keep you away from stress. In the modern era mindfulness is the progressive technique to relax your nerves and make you hopeful, active and happy. Don’t think about what will happen. Engage yourself and your mind in present activities.

Meditation is another source of relaxing your mind and eventually heart. During this time you actually prepare yourself for mindfulness and it helps you to get rid of anxiety, stress, depression and negative feelings. In order to do mindfulness and meditation, you have to choose a lonely, peaceful place. Sit there and close your eyes. Now focus on any of your obvious movements such as breathing deeply or repeating a specific good word. If you feel any disturbing thoughts, don’t pay attention towards those negative thoughts. Just focus on your point. Rhythmic Exercise also plays an important role as mindfulness and meditation.

 Heart-Healthy Tips for Everyday Life

Heart is actually the second control center of the body. It is involuntary in action. It is a strong muscular organ having a pumping system for blood supply throughout the body. Your body cells can’t work properly without oxygen and food. Pumping or circulatory system of the body maintains the oxygen and blood supply to all corners of your body. It is obvious that Heart Health affects the other organs and their functioning directly. That’s why the heart is known as the power house of your body and it should be healthier and active. Here are some healthy tips which will work for your heart health.

Getting Quality Sleep: A sound sleep gives your mood a pleasant twist. Same is the case with your heart, taking good sleep brings your blood pressure at normal. High blood pressure is the leading cause of heart disease. Inadequate sleep also indulges you in some heart problems like Obesity and Diabetes. Diabetes is the increased level of sugar in your blood. Obesity is unhealthy weight gain and can be controlled by having enough sleep. Lack of sleep may cause insomnia, which ultimately leads your heart towards health issues.

Hydration and Heart Health: Everyone knows that the heart pumps blood  throughout the body but the point to ponder is that the heart must always be hydrated. So that its exceptional working of pumping 72 times per minute can be regulated. Heart failure risks may be controlled by keeping heart hydrated. Heart is a muscular organ and cardiac muscles work more efficiently in hydrated form. In many cases, drinking plenty of water may reduce the chances of heart attack. 

Social Connections and Emotional Well-Being: Social connections are the way to release stress and be relaxed. It is proved through many reports that people with more social connections have more chances to survive in stress conditions. Heart Health is directly linked with stress and depression. Stress conditions are harmful for Heart Health. By keeping more social connections, you can release stress and it helps you to protect your heart from disease but neglecting your mental health for a long time, can lead you towards severe heart health conditions.

Alcohol and Heart Health: Drinking a large amount of alcohol daily is hazardous to health. Drinking alcohol for a longer period of time can cause different health issues as it can increase  blood pressure and weakens the strength of the heart muscles resultant the threat of the heart attack and heart stroke also increases. Alcohol may decrease the amount of triglycerides in the body and it is the leading cause of heart failure in alcohol addicted people.

Monitoring Your Blood Pressure and Cholesterol Levels: High blood pressure level and increased levels of cholesterol in your blood may cause heart diseases. High cholesterol levels lead you to severe symptoms of heart diseases like chest pain, atherosclerosis in blood vessels and dizziness. Observing such symptoms in the body is high alert for your Heart Health. So, try to use soluble fibers in your diet. Fruits like apples, pears, vegetable beans and sprouts may help you to control cholesterol levels in blood. Daily exercises can also reduce cholesterol level. Exercise also helps to reduce hypertension(high blood pressure) at low levels. To control high blood pressure you also should avoid smoking, limit alcohol consumption, take a balanced diet and maintain body weight.

Read More: https://onlinehealthpoint.com/make-your-relationship-strong/

Seeking Medical Care

In order to have proper medical assistance for Heart Health, you should understand the heart problems or symptoms of heart diseases. First of all, here are some simple heart disease symptoms you can observe by yourself at home. If you feel any chest pain or pain in your left arm or lower legs, it is a clear symptom of a heart problem. Swelling of ankles, shortness of breath and heart palpitations are also indicators of heart problems. So, try to consult a medical assistant, if you observe any of these conditions in your body .

Regular Check-ups with a Healthcare Provider: Your age, family history and eating habits, lifestyle are the major factors that have a great impact on your health. With the increasing age, you must go to a medical healthcare provider for a checkup. Regular checkups can save you from severe problems in time. This is the case a stitch in time saves nine. So, have a regular monthly checkup after the age of 55 and before 55 you should have a medical check up 3 times yearly. Routine checkups help to indicate chronic and mild diseases of the heart. Regular checkups also help to identify some other problems like depression and hypertension. Many of you often find it difficult to have an appointment so you ignore the regular checkups and then the problem increases many folds. Stop ignoring your heart health and try to have regular checkups so that you may decrease the risk factors from your life  

Understanding Heart Medications: Uneven heart beat, fatigue, chest and left arm pain are the alarming symptoms of heart disease. In most cases these symptoms occur after experiencing depression and hypertension. It is very important to understand the proper medications for heart health because proper treatment is the only solution to heart diseases. Improper medications can harm the heart health and you may suffer from severe health issues. Mostly, alpha and beta blockers are used to treat heart failure but in some cases angiotensin converting enzymes(ACE) inhibitors are also used to cure shrinking blood vessels so that by widening the blood vessels flow of blood may be regulated. This enzyme also helps the heart to pump blood easily.

When to Seek Immediate Medical Attention: 

• A myocardial infarction.
• A cardiac congestion.
• An angina attack.
• Irregular heart beats.
• Chest pain.
• Shortness of breath.
• Spreading left arm pain.
• Burning pain under sternum.

All these are the indicators of emergency heart problems. In any of these conditions, you should seek immediate heart health care. Heart failure is a dangerous condition, in which your heart fails to pump blood to your body parts in enough quantity. It doesn’t mean that the heart has stopped working but actually heart muscles are unable to pump blood. Therefore in this situation, delay may be fatal.

 Special Considerations

You are never too young or too old to take care of your heart health. Your heart is a strong muscular pumping organ of the size of your clenched fist. It pumps blood throughout the body to provide food and oxygen. It is obvious that Heart Health is based on your lifestyle, working nature and eating habits. Therefore by keeping an eye on all these factors you can take great care of your heart at any age.

Heart Health for Different Age Groups: No matter from which age group you are, you should consider your heart very important for your best living. Healthy and balanced diet and regular exercises can enhance the lifespan of your heart. There are some tips for you to keep your heart healthy in every age group.

Balanced Diet Plan: Select fiber enriched food. Eat whole grains, low fat dairy products, vegetables, fruits and fish. Lessen the use of sugar beverages and red meat.

Increase Physical Activity: Physical activity like exercises can help you to make your Heart Health stable. You should work out slowly at least for 20 minutes in all age groups. In children this duration will be 60 minutes. In addition 2 or more days a week you need muscle strengthening exercise to limit the risk factor for heart muscles.

Maintain your Body Weight: You may notice that after 40 years your metabolism slows down. It means your body needs a low calorie diet. In order to limit your body weight it is necessary to keep an eye on your body weight and maintain it according to your age requirement.

Manage Blood Sugar Level: Increased blood sugar level causes harmful effects for Heart Health and disturbs the working of the heart. After 40, checking blood sugar level timely can save you from dangerous myocardial infarction and other heart diseases.

Heart Health for Women: According to a survey 435,000 women have a heart attack yearly in  America. This dreadful number shows that women need more attention towards their Heart Health. Research shows that the women having sluggish and sedentary lifestyle are more likely to have heart attack or angina attack. Just by adding 20 to 30 minutes of brisk walk into your daily routine, you can stay at healthy weight. Limit alcohol consumption, avoid smoking, control your blood pressure and cholesterol level to save your heart from suffering.

Heart Health for Men: According to research, men have 10% more chances to have heart risks than the women of the same age group. Men also have early warning signs. Sexual problems are the major indicators for heart problems in men. Men having heart problems, have erection problems in early age, this shows a weak heart. Actually in men, heart problems are diagnosed more early than women because penis is a muscular organ like the heart and has thin blood vessels. Due to poor blood flow the cardiovascular diseases cause the erection problems in men. Low testosterone production is linked with abdominal obesity and is related to metabolic syndrome. Low testosterone is directly linked with heart risk. So positive changes in your sexual function are interrelated to your Heart Health.

Heart Health for Children and Teens: Most risk factors for Heart Health can be controlled in early ages. In children and teenagers, the major reason for heart problems is high blood pressure. In such a young age the elevated blood pressure is a serious matter but research shows that high blood pressure is a hereditary link for heart problems. So the children born in families with high blood pressure history must have strict checking of their blood pressure fluctuations at every age. In some cases, familial hypercholesterolemia is the cause of high cholesterol levels in children and teenagers. To reduce risk factors for Heart Health in children and teens, instruct your children to have 

• Plenty of water.
• Eat good balanced food.
• Use vegetables and grains.
• Eat low fat dairy products.
• Include regular exercises. 
• Know the hazards of smoking and drinking alcohol.
• Smoking in teenage is the leading cause of heart problems in teenagers and children.
• Obesity and sluggish life style is leading cause of heart problems in children. 

So parents should keep an eye on the eating habits of children and look after them closely to save them from heart problems. Parents should also know the eating routine of children at school. Parents should instruct and involve their children in physical activities.. So that they may save them from risk factors.

 Conclusion

CVDs are the most leading causes of increasing death rates overall the world. The risk factors of heart diseases, cardiovascular diseases, myocardial infarction, angina attacks and atherosclerosis are increasing day by day without any exception in age or gender. The leading factors for this dangerous increase in heart problems are use of alcohol, tobacco, oily and spicy food and sluggish and sedentary lifestyle. Blood pressure and cholesterol level are also playing a role in this regard.Therefore, by controlling all these factors you can save your heart and can improve your Heart Health.

The Journey to A Healthy Heart: Let’s take you on a wonderful journey to a healthy heart. We still know you are looking for some amazing tips to make your heart healthy. Let’s start;

• Oral Hygiene: It is obvious from research that bleeding gums also is a cause of heart diseases. Germs found in the oral cavity are a source of heart diseases. So oral cleanliness is necessary.
• Walking: Whenever you feel a burden on your heart and this makes you dull. Try to take a walk of just 30 minutes. This practice will refresh you and your heart feel relaxed.
• Breakfast: People who ignore breakfast are more likely to have heart problems. Never miss your breakfast. Take protein and starch as breakfast.
•  Loose Body Fat: Elevated levels of body fat, cholesterol and obesity may harm your heart health. Get rid of extra fat by limiting oily and fried food.
• Eat Nuts and Green Leafy Meals: Deficiency of iron also causes less production of RBCs which cause oxygen deficiency in blood and heart have to work rapidly. Poor oxygenated blood can be made oxygenated by taking iron filled meals to improve hemoglobin in your blood.
• Plan for Recreation: Laugh, enjoy, play like kids, yes, these activities will help you and your heart to be healthy. Make plans for your recreation and forget all working schedules. Just keep your body, mind and heart relax. 

Empowering Yourself for a Heart-Healthy Future: Always keep an eye on your metabolism. Your blood sugar level, your cholesterol level, your hemoglobin and triglycerides are indicators of your heart health. Engaging yourself in household tasks such as brooming and mopping can play the role of daily exercise but include 30 minutes daily walk in your routine. Try your best to eliminate stress causing elements from your life. Look After your body’s hygiene as well. Avoid smoking and limit alcohol consumption. Include vegetables, fruits, white meat and plenty of water in your diet. Engage yourself in productive activities but don’t be over burdened by workload. Last but not least, have regular checkups of your heart and blood vessels. Immediately go to your physician in case of any ill feeling about your heart.