In my last H&W publication, I mentioned seven ways to help all of us avoid developing heart disease: not smoking, managing your weight, exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet that’s low in saturated fat and sodium (aim for a high muscle and low fat ratio in your body), and controlling your blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar. Heart disease is the U.S. #1 cause of death, responsible for one in every four deaths.
According to PHARMACY/Costco.Com (Winter 2017), the most common type of heart problems is coronary heart disease which “develops when a waxy substance called plaque builds up inside your coronary arteries (blood vessels that transport blood and oxygen to the heart).” Over time, the plaque can harden and cause the artery to narrow thus reducing the flow of blood to the heart. Plaque can also rupture and form a blood clot inside your artery causing the blood flowing to the heart to become reduced or completely cut off. Also, having heart disease can weaken your heart over time. This heart failure occurs, according to Costco, “when your heart isn’t able to pump enough blood to supply your body with what it needs.”
Genes do play a role in developing coronary problems, as well. If your dad or brother is diagnosed younger than age 55 or your mother or sister is diagnosed younger than age 65, you have a family history of heart disease. But all of us should visit our physicians regularly to treat any early problems that our health care providers might discover before our hearts are already harmed. Costco tells us it is vital that we see a doctor if we are experiencing the following symptoms: shortness of breath, swelling in our ankles, feet, legs or stomach, and rapid or irregular heartbeat.
Besides making lifestyle changes discussed in my previous story and above in my first paragraph, your cardiac surgeon may find it necessary to perform medical procedures to help open up your blocked arteries. These consist of percutaneous coronary intervention (using a thin tube with a balloon at the end) and coronary artery bypass grafting. Finally, cardiac rehabilitation will be recommended to help the heart patient develop a customized exercise program.
Gender does matter in recognizing and treating a heart attack. As we get older, the heart’s main pumping chamber, the ventricle, gets thicker and heavier for men and decreases in size slightly for women. Therefore, while suffering a heart attack, men experience classic symptoms of crushing chest pain and sweating profusely. On the other hand, women may have symptoms of nausea, shortness of breath, and back, neck, stomach, and jaw pain. The American Heart Association warns us to seek help at once, if any of these warning signs are present for either sex.
