It is the most important muscle in the body. Its operation is involuntary, but with each beat, it guarantees life. Everyone knows the importance of heart health, but the truth is that few are dedicated to maintaining it.
Heart problems and strokes are the main causes of death practically all over the world.
Arterial hypertension and obesity are the great villains of heart health. When blood pressure gets out of control, in addition to causing heart damage, it overloads the heart.
The consequences are serious. The heart even increases its size, a silent evil that can bring irreversible problems for cardiac health.
Obesity and even being overweight are among the factors that most cause changes in blood pressure. An obese person needs to demand more effort to perform simple everyday tasks. This wears out the organism and demands changes in blood pressure.
If these changes are not treated in time, serious consequences can be brought to the heart, such as heart failure, which causes the heart to lose its ability to pump blood throughout the body.
How is your heart health? There are many risks that diseases affect this organ offer, but avoiding them with healthy habits is possible. To begin with, let’s better understand how this organ works.
How Does The Heart Work?
The heart is a hollow muscular organ located in the centre of the chest. The heart has two sides, the right and the left. Each of them has an atrium and a ventricle.
The atrium is the upper layer that collects blood and pumps it into the lower chamber. The ventricle is the lower chamber that pumps blood out of the heart. For blood to flow in only one direction, each ventricle has an inlet and outlet valve.
The heart pumps blood to the lungs. There he receives the oxygen that will accompany the blood throughout the body. The circulating blood distributes oxygen and nutrients to the body’s tissues, removing waste products such as carbon dioxide from the tissues.
How To Take Care Of Heart Health?
The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of deaths due to heart disease worldwide would be avoided only with lifestyle changes. Learn what habits strengthen you to provide healthy longevity.
Practice Exercises
Practicing physical exercises ensures health for the whole body. One of the goals of those who move is to strengthen their muscles. The heart is a muscle, so it can’t be left out.
If you still need to develop the habit of exercising, you can start with a walk. This modality prevents attacks and heart problems, controls blood pressure, tones muscles and strengthens bones, reduces cholesterol levels, increases energy levels, and controls weight and sleep.
The consequence is physical and mental well-being, in addition to the decrease in glucose, the risk of developing thrombosis and the reduction of inflammation in the blood.
Stay Away From Cigarettes
Smoking is one of the main risk factors for heart disease. This practice directly affects the cardiovascular system and increases the risk of artery obstruction. The result is increased blood pressure and the risk of a heart attack.
Keep The Right Weight
Our eating habits directly influence heart health. Anyone who eats more than necessary or has a diet rich in foods that are not beneficial to health can develop problems such as weight gain.
If weight loss is a constant challenge, look for ways to lose weight for good and maintain a healthy lifestyle that ensures the right weight for your body.
Monitor Blood Pressure
Having a medical follow-up to do routine tests and always measuring blood pressure is important. It can already be considered high when it is above 140 by 90mmHg or 14/9.
Avoid Alcohol Consumption
Data from the Pan American Health Organization have shown that excessive alcohol consumption is a factor that can cause more than 200 diseases and injuries. Because it is a cardiotoxic substance, alcohol consumption directly affects the heart, causing changes in cardiac cells.
Some cells die, and others lose their function due to the toxicity that alcohol offers. The result of this aggression can be alcoholic cardiomyopathy.
Enjoy The Sun
Sunbathing for at least 15 minutes daily is essential to ensure good health. The sun’s rays are the main responsible for vitamin D absorption.
There is also a good relationship between exposure to the sun and the production of nitric oxide, which relaxes the arteries and facilitates blood pumping, thus reducing blood pressure.
Reduce Consumption Of Salt And Sugar
Salt and sugar should always be consumed in moderation. In the case of sugar, the best option is to eliminate it from the menu. Exaggerated consumption of these two substances can increase the risk of diabetes, high cholesterol, obesity and gastritis.
Excessive consumption of salt and sugar also harms the body by offering only empty calories and not the nutrients needed for the proper functioning of the body.
Control The Stress
Stress is a silent evil that favors the development of various diseases . Several of them directly affect the proper functioning of the heart.
With increased anxiety, cortisol levels in the body rise. This is one of the hormones that favors the glucose concentration in the blood, which has several negative consequences for the heart’s health.
Choose Your Food Well
Some foods act very specifically, avoiding diseases, increasing immunity and acting in an anti-inflammatory way. For example, eating three servings of berries a week helps reduce the chances of a heart attack.
However, although including foods such as berries on the menu is beneficial, this attitude should be shared. Adopting other good habits is key to promoting heart health.
Practice Activities That Promote Your Well-Being
Invest in happy moments, healthy hobbies, and physical exercises that awaken your will, increasing the levels of pleasure. Being happy guarantees health, vitality and joy.
Also Read: Losing Weight Relieves The Burden On The Heart And Circulation