Title: |
Are You Good to Your Heart? | ||
Author: |
Betty Franklin, RN | Section: |
General Wellness |
Submitted: |
November 2006 | Expertise base on: |
Experience |
Everyone needs to learn to be good to his or her heart. Our heart is a major organ in the body serving as the pump that controls oxygen rich blood that flows to our lungs and the rest of our body to help us function as healthy individuals.
The lifestyle choices we make can put this very important organ at risk for developing heart disease. The activities we do and conditions we have affect the flow of blood in our arteries and can lead to heart disease. Many conditions cause injury to the lining of our arteries and cause an increase buildup of fat or plague deposits in that area. This, in time, can lead to a condition called Atherosclerosis, or what some people call "hardening of the arteries".
Some conditions and activities such as our age, gender and heredity we cannot control; others we can control: smoking, high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, lack of exercise, obesity, stress and excessive alcohol consumption.
What can you do to be good your heart and decrease your chance of heart disease? There are many things you can do, some of which include:
- Quit smoking
- Know your blood pressure, blood cholesterol levels and blood sugar levels and keep them within a healthy range
- Maintain an appropriate weight for your age and build
- Make healthy food choices, eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables; use reduced fat products wherever possible; use lean cuts of meat, broiled or baked
- Have a regular exercise program that includes endurance, strengthening and flexibility activities
- Recognize what in your life is causing you stress, and plan healthy ways to deal with them
Knowing the signs and symptoms of a heart attack is another way to be good to your heart. They include:
- Sudden pain or discomfort in the chest, neck, arms shoulders jaw or back that may feel like burning, squeezing, heaviness, tightness or pressure that is not relived with rest or medication
- Other symptoms may include shortness of breath, nausea, vomiting, sweating, cool, clammy skin, fear, anxiety or denial
- Call 911 for transport to your local hospital
- While waiting, rest and use your nitroglycerin as instructed
- Do not drive yourself to the hospital
Being good to your heart will increase the chances of you living a long and productive life.
