Gift Your Heart Good Health This February

Highlights

• February marks the American Heart Month.
• The month provides an opportunity to increase awareness about the importance of heart health.
• Simple lifestyle modifications can keep your heart healthy.

The month of February is celebrated as the Heart Healthy Month in the United States and some other countries in the world. The heart, with its network of blood vessels is the lifeline of the body. It works tirelessly from the time we are born till the day we die. It ensures that we can carry out all our activities by providing oxygen to tissues via blood and eliminates wastes through the kidneys and lungs. It sometimes gives us a warning through chest pain if it gets tired. If our heart stops, everything else stops.

Heart disease is a major consequence of modern lifestyle. In the United States, 25% deaths are caused due to heart disease. The good news is that simple changes in our lifestyle could prevent heart disease and result in longer and healthier lives. Some of these are listed below:

• Restrict your salt intake. Salt increases blood pressure and thereby the work of the heart. Make sure that your blood pressure is also under control.
• It is particularly important to keep yourself active. Dedicate at least 20 minutes of your day to your heart. A brisk morning walk is the minimum you could do to keep your heart healthy, feel rejuvenated,and ready to take on the day.
• Cholesterol is one of the enemies of your heart. It deposits in the walls of blood vessels and blocks them. A block in a blood vessel supplying blood to the heart or the brain can be lethal. Control your intake of deep fried foods and saturated oils. Add fiber to your diet . If your cholesterol does not come under control, your doctor will prescribe medications to control it.
• Eat a balanced diet with adequate fruits and vegetables.A sudden change from junk foods to eating fresh healthy meals everyday may appear quite cumbersome, but it will not be long before you start enjoying it.
• Overweight and obesity can have adverse consequences on almost any body system. On the cardiovascular system, it increases the risk of heart disease by increasing blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also increases the risk of diabetes, which in turn affects the heart. Therefore, keep a regular check on your weight.
• Smoking and alcohol intake are two factors that affect the heart and can easily be controlled. Direct smoking, as well as second hand smoking can increase the risk for heart disease. Medications are available to those who would like to quit smoking. Intake of alcohol should be restricted.
• Do not forget to undergo regular health check-ups to ensure that your heart does remain healthy and receives treatment at the earliest signs of disease.
• Children should be particularly encouraged to adopt healthy lifestyles at an early age so that they are saved from the consequences of heart disease. Children are very impressionable, and often do what the adults around them do. So if you want your child to be healthy, it is of no use asking them to adopt healthy habits if you do not follow them first.

We often consider the heart as a symbol of love. It is high time that we start loving our heart and taking care of it. Life is precious, and with a healthy heart, we can live longer and better lives.

References

1. Heart Health - (https://healthfinder.gov)
2. Ferbraury is American Heart Month - (https://www.cdc.gov/)

Source-Medindia