World Heart Day is just around the corner this next September 29, which means it’s the perfect time to check your heart health and find out easy ways to protect your heart!
Heart disease and stroke are the world’s number one cause of death, claiming around 18.6 million lives each year according to the World Heart Federation.
Our intention here is not to scare you, but to let you know the good news! Which is that about 80% of cardiovascular disease cases can be prevented.
You can lower the risk of getting heart disease by simply making some small adjustments to your lifestyle.
Here’s what you need to know about your heart health, and some extra tips on how to keep your heart healthy and functioning at its best!
First, you should know that there are different types of heart disease covering a variety of cardiovascular problems, here are some:
Types of Heart Disease
- Arrhythmia: is a heart rhythm abnormality, it affects the rate at which the heart beats, making it too slow, too fast, too early, or too erratically.
- Cardiomyopathy: is when the heart muscles weaken and are unable to pump blood.
- Congenital heart defects: are heart irregularities present at birth, that can affect the heart walls, heart valves, or blood vessels.
- Atherosclerosis: is the hardening of the arteries, caused by built up fats, cholesterol, and calcium.
- Coronary artery disease (CAD): caused by the buildup of plaque in the heart’s arteries, which blocks the arteries reducing the blood flow; it can cause a heart attack.
- Heart infections: can be caused by parasites, viruses or bacteria.
How to detect some heart diseases on time?
The symptoms of the different heart diseases can vary, but these are a few of the common symptoms that can help you identify that your heart health might not be functioning so well.
Sings of an unhealthy heart
- Shoulder and chest pain, particularly on the left side: the pain is caused by the death of heart muscle cells, and it’s a sign for a potential heart attack.
- Irregular heartbeat: in some cases, it’s a sign of heart failure, the heart can go up to beat four times faster, pumping 300 times a minute.
- Snoring and sleeping problems due to disruptions in your breathing: when sleepers wake up gasping for air, also known as Sleep apnea, can be associated with high blood pressure, arrhythmia, stroke, and heart failure.
In some cases, Sleep apnea is caused due to high weight and obesity.
- Jaw and gums pain: gum disease is related to heart disease – gums are full of blood vessels, when you disrupt the gum layer bacteria can immediately enter your bloodstream and affect your heart’s health.
- Puffiness on your feet and legs: your lower extremities becoming irregularly swollen, especially when you take your shoes off can be a sign of heart failure. The swelling is caused by the improper flow of blood to the heart.
- Dizziness: feeling dizzy or fainting means that blood flow to the brain is not right, it can happen due to a drop in blood pressure, and it’s a clear symptom of heart failure.
- Fatigue and shortness of breath: you can experience breathlessness during activity, or while sleeping. It can be caused due to clogged blood vessels which can affect the lungs, and it suggests your heart is not healthy.
It’s important to search for professional help if you are experiencing a combination of any of the symptoms mentioned above.
Now, let’s see the different ways in which you can start having better heart health and lower your heart disease risk.
Tips to take better care of your heart health
As we mentioned before, you can prevent heart disease by implementing certain lifestyle changes that can also help avoid the disease from getting worse.
- Improve your diet
Start by adapting your eating habits to a low-fat diet, low-sodium, that contains plenty of fruits and vegetables.
Avoid foods with added sugar, refined carbohydrates such as breakfast cereals, white bread, and pasta, as well as processed meats.
Eat more seafood, yogurt, nuts and seeds, beans, and avocados.
- Exercise more often
Moving your body is the simplest way of improving your heart’s health.
Clinical trials have shown how exercise strengthens the heart by enhancing the cardiorespiratory system, lowering inflammation and improving blood sugar control, reducing blood pressure and heart rate.
- Support your heart and overall health with supplements
- Terry Naturally Artery Strong 60 – Softgels: supports cardiovascular health, contains Vitamin A, D3 & K2 Supplement.
- CuraMed Superior Absorption Curcumin 375 mg – 60 Softgels: curcumin improves the function of the endothelium, which is the lining of your blood vessels.
Endothelium dysfunction is a major driver of heart disease.
- Bio Nutrition Blood Sugar Wellness 60 Veg-Caps: helps maintain healthy blood sugar levels to properly support larger blood vessels that supply oxygen to the heart and brain.
- Bio Nutrition Blood Pressure Wellness – 60 Tablets: maintains healthy blood pressure levels, promotes vascular flexibility and elasticity, improves circulation, and contributes to overall health.
- Bio Nutrition Cholesterol Wellness 60 Veg-Caps: blend of vitamins, minerals, and omega fatty acids to promote cardiovascular function, improve circulation and blood flow.
- Only Natural Moringa Pure – 1000 mg – 90 Veg-Caps: helps lower cholesterol levels, reducing the risk of heart disease.
- Moringa SuperFood (Moringa oleifera) 5000 mg. – 60 Veg-Caps: rich in vitamins A, B, C, iron, and potassium, to help support Weight Loss, Immune System, and Heart Health.
- Natrol Omega-3 Fish Oil 1000MG – 90 Softgels: contains pure fish oil to help protect your heart from arrhythmias and reduce triglycerides, a type of fat in your blood.
Other things you can do to improve your heart health are quitting tobacco, reducing your alcohol consumption, getting your blood pressure checked, and maintaining a healthy weight.
Find all these health supplements for a strong and healthy beating heart at Nature’s Discount.