Heart disease is a common and serious disease that can kill you. You can be proactive and help prevent heart disease from affecting you. Your osteopathic doctor can tell you more.
What You Need To Know About Heart Disease
There are a few steps you can take to be proactive against heart disease. You need to:
Do not smoke, and if you are smoking, stop. Smoking is one of the primary risk factors for heart disease and many other medical conditions.
Avoid eating high-fat foods in your diet whenever you can. High-fat foods lead to clogged arteries, which can lead to atherosclerosis, stroke, and heart disease. Foods to avoid include:
- Red meat
- Full-fat dairy products
- Fried, greasy foods
- Foods high in saturated fats
- Foods containing trans fats
Get enough exercise, at least 30 minutes on most days of the week. Regular exercise keeps your heart working well.
Learn some stress reduction techniques to reduce cardiac workload. Try yoga, meditation, or walking.
One of the most important proactive steps you can take is to visit your osteopathic doctor for regular checkups. Your doctor can monitor your cholesterol and blood pressure. High cholesterol and high blood pressure are two main components of developing heart disease.
If you do have high blood pressure or high cholesterol, or you are beginning to have heart issues, your doctor can treat your condition in its early stages, before you get worse. Your doctor may recommend medications to lower cholesterol and blood pressure to keep you and your heart healthy.
Heart disease can sneak up on you, often without any signs or symptoms. That’s why regular doctor visits are so important. In addition to annual checkups, you should see your doctor if you are experiencing:
- Chest pain, pressure, or a squeezing feeling
- Chest pain that doesn’t go away, or gets worse
- Chest pain radiating down your arms, neck, or shoulders
- A rapid, irregular heartbeat and breathing difficulty
Want To Know More?
To find out more about how you can prevent heart disease and live a longer, healthier life, call your osteopathic medicine doctor today.