Are you Hurting your Heart without Realizing It?

Are you Hurting your Heart

without Realizing It?

by Kristy Como Armand

You know a bad diet, too little exercise, and smoking are bad for your heart, but there are other surprising ways you may be contributing to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease without even realizing it. Over time, the sneaky habits – or lack of them – can add up and take their toll on your heart health.

“Research shows if you focus as early as possible on the heart disease risk factors you can control, you increase your chances of living a healthier, longer life. The key is being more aware of more of those things that impact your heart health and doing your best to manage those,” says Dr. Andrew Bradberry, family medicine doctor with Imperial Health.

He offers a list of some of the most common misperceptions and habits many people have that could be adversely affecting their heart health, and how to modify these to help your heart:

• Relying solely on your workout. If you

exercise, that’s great – keep it up! But if you sit down for most of the rest of your day, that’s still a problem. Working out helps but does not make up for being sedentary all day long. If you have a desk job, take a short walk every hour to boost your circulation, even if it’s just to your break room and back. Try standing while on the phone and walking in place if you can. Dr. Bradberry says the goal is to simply move more, more often.

• Thinking you are too young. You’re never too young to take care of your heart and to be aware of your risk factors, particularly those you can’t control, such as family history. That may give you the motivation to make sure you are managing those risk factors you can control.

• One drink too many. For most people, moderate drinking (one a day for women, up to two daily for men) is okay. Some research has even found that a daily drink may even have some benefits for the heart, but this may not be true for everyone’s health situation. Always discuss this with your doctor. Drinking too much can raise levels of certain fats in the blood and blood pressure. This impact is more significant if you have several drinks at a time. • You don’t know your numbers. Most patients have no clue what their cholesterol level and blood pressure numbers are, and that can be risky. These could be too high without you knowing. You could feel just fine and have high cholesterol or high blood pressure. Both conditions often present without any symptoms. And if you don’t have a baseline of what your normal numbers are, you won’t know when there is a change that could indicate a problem that needs attention.

• Ignoring stress and depression. When you feel low or have a lot going on in your life, it’s hard to do things that are good for you, like exercising and eating right. When stress is excessive, it can contribute to other conditions, such as high blood pressure.

If you have felt down for more than a few weeks, Dr. Bradberry says you should talk to your doctor or a mental health professional.

Talk therapy, exercise, and medication (if needed) can improve your mood, so you have more energy and motivation to take better care of yourself.

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• Snoring. If your partner says you regularly snore or you sound like you’re gasping for air while sleeping, see your doctor. You might have a serious condition called apnea, which occurs when your airway is partially blocked, causing you to have pauses in your breathing while sleeping. The condition is linked to high blood pressure, an irregular heartbeat, strokes, and even heart failure.

Treatments can help you breathe easier and lower your risk for heart disease too.

• Ignoring belly fat. Any extra weight can increase your heart disease risk, but the kind around your midsection is especially dangerous. Excess belly fat may trigger your body to make hormones and other chemicals that can raise blood pressure and have a negative effect on your blood vessels and cholesterol levels. As a guideline, if you’re a woman and your waist is more than 35 inches around, or 40 inches if you’re a man, losing weight with a sensible diet and exercise plan will help you lower this risk factor.

“Patients have more power than they think to live a heart-healthy life,” says Dr. Bradberry. “Awareness is big part of it, along with modifying some behaviors and by having regular check-ups.”

we get to the heart of the matter.

Heart health is vital to your overall well-being. By exercising regularly, choosing healthy foods, controlling stress as much as possible, and monitoring your cholesterol and blood pressure numbers, you are on the right path for a strong, healthy heart.

As we celebrate American Heart Month in February, West Calcasieu Cameron Hospital is committed to healthy hearts now, and all year long. From health and wellness checks to our own Dynamic Dimensions Fitness Centers, we’re your team for good heart health.