The heart is considered to be the one responsible for giving life to the human body. After all, it is the heart that beats endlessly and tirelessly in order to ensure that sufficient oxygen reaches all the other organs in the human body. Having said that, one would expect that most individuals would know how to take care of their heart. Unfortunately, most people are unaware that certain lifestyle choices as well as activities can actually increase the chances of the heart suffering from any medical condition. If you happen to be one of them, here are some of those risk factors that you should keep in mind:
- Smoking might be good when it comes to passing time but is the kind of activity that has no medical benefit. In fact, smoking increases the risk of suffering from a heart attack as well as a number of other medical conditions including cancer. While some people are able to quit smoking the cold turkey, some might need to gradually lessen their nicotine intake before quitting altogether. Either way, the effect of quitting smoking can be realized within a few weeks’ time.
- The presence of hyperthyroidism can also lead to a higher risk for heart diseases. This is because hyperthyroidism has been linked to an increase in the blood cholesterol level. However, if the patient is already taking thyroid hormone, then there is no longer reason to worry about the cholesterol level.
- Male individuals also tend to have a higher risk for developing certain heart diseases. One common theory for this is that men tend to be more inexpressive compared to women. Since the latter are able to talk their feelings out, they rarely feel undue stress from their daily activities.
- Although over-exertion is also one of the things that could lead to a heart attack, the same can also be said for its opposite – physical inactivity. Physical activities can help one regulate his or her weight.We all know that excess weight can easily lead to increased cholesterol level which, in turn, can lead to increased risk for heart diseases, particularly heart attack.
- Uncontrolled stress and anger has also been known to result to increased risk for heart diseases. Stress and anger causes your heart to pump twice as hard and could put undue pressure to it. Apart from making sure that you are able to express your emotions, knowing proper time management and setting your priorities right can also help relieve stress and take away the need to get angry.
- Too much sodium as well as improper meal can also increase the chances for a heart diseases as well as a heart attack. Make sure that you lessen your sodium intake while increasing your fruits and vegetables.
Although some heart diseases are irreversible there are still those that can be dealt with effectively. In some rare occasion that you might have to deal with an emergency case involving a heart attack or a Sudden Cardiac Arrest, you would need to know how to administer a CPR. That being said, it would be to your advantage if you undergo a CPR certification program or, at least, have an AED unit close at hand.
