Taking Care of Your Cardiovascular Health

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When we think of our overall health and wellbeing, we don’t really tend to think of the condition of certain parts of our body. But at the end of the day, our bodies are like one large machine and if one cog isn’t working as it should, the whole system could potentially face difficulties or even shut down. So, it’s important that we do turn our attention to maintaining specific body parts – especially our organs, as these are what really do keep everything up and running. For now, let’s focus on our hearts! Here are a few different things that you can do to maintain your cardiovascular health as best possible!

Act Immediately In Emergency Situations
If you are concerned about your heart, there may be good reason. After all, people will perfectly functioning hearts rarely even acknowledge their hearts at all! It’s only when we start experiencing pain, pangs, or palpitations that we begin to take note. So, familiarise yourself with symptoms of cardiovascular disease and any sign of heart attack in women and make sure to take immediate action if you think that something is wrong. Mere moments can make all of the difference when it comes to pulling yourself through problems and getting yourself onto the road to recovery as soon as possible. Call emergency services and request medical help as soon as possible.

Schedule a Checkup at the Doctor’s
Now, there are certain appointments that we make and keep on a very regular basis. We try to see our dentist and hygienist every six months! But there are others that tend to slip by. Checks on general heart health tend to be one of these. While most people don’t require a general checkup without reason, it’s definitely something to consider scheduling if you have experiencing any sort of cardiovascular problem in the past, or if you have a family history of cardiovascular problems. Checkups will generally monitor your blood pressure, and glucose levels, cholesterol levels. If any results come back as abnormal or negative, your doctor will be able to guide you through a unique and specialised course of treatment to improve your health.

Exercise
One of the best means of maintaining a healthy heart is to exercise. It is generally recommended that the average person gets one hundred and fifty minutes of moderate aerobic exercise a week or seventy five minutes of aerobic exercise per week. Sticking to these recommendations can ensure that your heart is strong and capable of pumping blood around your body as it should be able to. If you have existing health conditions, make sure to contact your doctor or physician before engaging with exercise though! You don’t want to overdo it or push yourself too hard!

Quit Smoking
If you smoke, it’s time to stop. We are all well aware that smoking is awful for our overall health and wellbeing and there seems to be a never ending list of different conditions that can be caused, triggered, or worsened by smoking. Cardiovascular disease falls into this list and potential problems can range from coronary heart disease to stroke. Will it is immediately obvious how smoking affects our lungs, it may be a little more difficult to see how it can affect your heart. So, let’s take a moment to get to know what actually happens to your cardiovascular system when you smoke. Smoking:

• Damages the lining of your arteries – this can lead to a buildup of fatty materials (called atheroma), which results in a narrowing of the arteries
• Lowers the amount of oxygen in your blood, replacing it with carbon dioxide – this means that your heart has to work a lot hard to get oxygen around your body
• Stimulates your body to create unnecessary adrenaline – this causes your heart to beat faster
• Increases the risk of your blood clotting – which can result in increased chances of experiencing a heart attack or stroke

As you can see, you really do need to quit smoking for the sake of your heart’s health. This, of course, can be extremely difficult. Cigarettes contain nicotine, which is a highly addictive substance. Trying to cut this out immediately and entirely can cause withdrawal symptoms and strong cravings. But there are different means of support out there that can help you through the process! Nicotine patches, nicotine gum, vaping, and other nicotine replacements can.

If you haven’t considered your cardiovascular health in much depth before, hopefully, the above information will help you to start taking it a little more seriously! The steps laid out really can get you on a path in the right direction!06