Wellness Tips Wednesday: Heart Health

 

Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. Can you believe that something that provides us with life could turn against us? The heart should be the main concern for everyone since it’s the powerhouse that keeps us going.

Heart health is so important to maintain, therefore, we have a few tips to keep you well and away from heart disease.

Blood Pressure

We’ve familiar with those devices that doctors wrap around our upper arm. It squeezes you really tightly to check for blood pressure. So what exactly is blood pressure? There are two numbers that are recorded when you go to check your blood. The upper number on the machine displays the systolic blood pressure and it tells your doctor how much blood is exerted against the artery walls when your heart is beating.

The lower number is your diastolic blood pressure and provides your doctor with how much blood is being exerted against the artery walls when the heart rests between beats. Keeping track of your numbers is a great way to detect abnormalities as soon as they occur. Speak to your doctor if your numbers are too high and they may be able to provide you with assistance on getting your heart in control.

Smoking

Smoking is the main cause of 1 in 5 deaths in the United States. The chemicals within cigarettes are capable of damaging the heart, lungs, blood vessels, eyes, mouth, reproductive organs, bladder, bones etc. However, since heart disease is the number one cause of death in the United States, we can ask ourselves if there is some sort of connection between the two.

By smoking, the chemicals are able to damage your blood cells and increase the plaque build-up within your arteries. Blocked arteries would then subject you to experiencing chest pains, heart attack and/or heart arrhythmias, which could potentially lead to death.

Whether you smoke on occasion, are within the home of someone who smokes or you’re a constant smoker, you still run a high risk chance of developing health risks because of the toxins within cigarettes.

It would be best to quit smoking or stay away from those who smoke. If you’re having trouble with quitting there is always help available to assist you with your mission.

Exercise

We’re all familiar with having our heart rate speed up when we exert our energy. If you really want to prevent heart disease then investing your time into exercising could help. You could increase the good cholesterols and reduce the bad cholesterols just with exercise. You could reduce your chance of death from heart diseases by 20-25%.

Always ask your doctor before diving into a new exercise regimen. You should only attempt it once you have a doctor’s approval. The goal would be to get at least 30-minutes of exercise daily.