Heart disease is the most frequent cause of death in human beings. Furthermore, conditions like hardening and stiffening of the blood vessels (arteries) that supply nutrients and oxygen to the heart muscle itself can also cause blocks or reduce blood flow to the heart, leading to heart failure. Heart failure can affect the right or left side of your heart or both at the same time. It can be either an acute (short-term) or chronic (ongoing) condition.
That being said, if you start to notice any symptoms, don’t postpone seeing your doctor because an early and accurate diagnosis is critical for preventing further damage and saving life. On World Health Day, let’s understand the importance of regular heart check-ups. Individuals of working age (35-65 years) are the ones most likely to be affected by lifestyle diseases. Doctors worldwide suggest that men over the age of 35 and women over the age of 40 undergo annual preventive health tests.
For instance, a person with a family history of a heart disease is advised to begin screening tests 10 years before when the family’s youngest member shows symptoms of conditions, including diabetes mellitus, heart disease, elevated cholesterol level, hypertension, prostate, colon, and so on.
To detect and treat heart problems, a cardiac screening is necessary. A heart screening (at regular intervals as recommended by the treating doctor) will allow you to assess your heart and rule out any abnormal changes thoroughly. Some of the popular screening methods include an electrocardiogram (ECG) and an echocardiogram that are used to look for risk factors for an enlarged heart in selected patients. In addition, coronary angiography is the most well-known traditional invasive-based technique for diagnosing and treating heart conditions related to decreased blood flow (the so called coronary artery diseases).
Last but not the least, heart patients must also take care of their emotional health and well-being as any unexpected changes in their daily lives can be stressful.
The risk of heart disease can be increased by a person’s lifestyle, such as smoking, eating an unhealthy diet, having high cholesterol, having high blood pressure, lacking in exercise and fitness, etc. It is, therefore, extremely essential to maintain a healthy lifestyle by consuming nutritious diet and regular exercisingt hat can keep your heart and circulatory system on track. Heart diseases are common, which if not caused due to genetics, can be avoided by making lifestyle changes.
