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H E A LT H
SURPRISING WAYS TO HELP YOUR HEART
Y
1
ou already know that
pressure,” Dr Vermeulen explains.
permanent damage to your heart.
exercise, eating healthily
Chronic stress might also cause
In normal circumstances, always
and not smoking can help
you to drink more, eat more, smoke
keep your heart performing well. But what else can you do to keep your heart healthy?
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REACH FOR THE ASPIRIN Aspirin prevents blood clots from
SEEK HELP FOR SNORING Heavy snoring can be a sign of sleep apnoea (stopping breathing while sleeping), which can cause your blood oxygen levels to drop. This can raise your blood pressure and put strain on your heart. “Obstructive sleep apnoea might also increase your risk of recurrent heart attack, stroke
and abnormal heartbeats, such as atrial fibrillation,” says Dr Bianca Vermeulen, a GP at Mediclinic Midstream. Ask your doctor
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about Continuous Positive Airway Pressure therapy (CPAP).
REDUCE STRESS LEVELS Emotional stress isn’t good for your heart. Medical researchers aren’t 100% sure of the link between stress and heart disease. “Although stress itself might be a factor, it could be that high levels of stress worsen other risk factors, such as high cholesterol or high blood
30
more and exercise less.
SILVER DIGEST // AUTUMN 2021
forming in the arteries and can also help lower your risk of a heart attack or stroke. If you feel you may be having a heart attack, call for help, then sit down and chew an aspirin. Aspirin can help dissolve the clot before there’s
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consult your doctor before taking medication.
GET ENOUGH SLEEP According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, if you get less than seven hours sleep every night, you are more likely to experience health problems that raise the risk for heart disease, heart attack and Continued …
