Taking Care of Your Heart's Health

The heart is one of the most important organ in your body, as its function of pumping oxygen-rich blood to your entire body helps maintain your overall good health and well-being. A lot of people suffer from heart-related complications with heart disease being a top killer of people who suffer from it. Some risk factors include your age, smoking, a sedentary lifestyle, alcohol, and poor diet. Other risk factors include complications arising from diabetes and existing conditions that may be genetic or hereditary in nature. The most common symptoms of heart disease are chest pain, heartburn, heart palpitations, and shortness of breath. Sometimes however, the symptoms cannot be detected and the complications simply arise suddenly, as many victims of stroke will attest to.

Coronary heart disease results from the narrowing of the arteries that serve as the pathways for the blood that is circulated throughout the body. Heart attacks happen when the blood supply is constricted because of the build-up of smooth muscle cells and connective tissue that clog the arteries, preventing the supply of blood to our most important organs.

One of the most important things you can do for yourself is to quit smoking, or avoid exposure to second-hand smoke if you don't smoke. Another thing you can do to keep your heart healthy is to get moving --- the importance of regular physical activity cannot be underscored enough as exercise helps keep your blood flowing and improves your blood circulation. Cardio exercises are the most helpful to your because they help utilise your heart efficiently. Make your workout more efficient by wearing the right activewear or sports clothing. Also remember to keep in water bottles handy so that you do not suffer from dehydration during your workout.

Watch your weight as overweight people are more prone to the complications of hypertension. Avoid foods that are high in cholesterol because they are the ones that contribute to the fat that can block your arteries, which can be a hindrance to the fresh supply of oxygen-rich blood to the rest of your body. When a person eats too much of the bad stuff, this leads to the build-up of bad cholesterol in the body.

Though heart diseases can be preventable, unfortunately, some heart diseases are congenital and you will have to live with them for life. For existing heart conditions, there is usually no cure-all or magic pill, so a lot of people with heart ailments depend on maintenance drugs to keep complications at bay. If worst comes to worst as in the cases of a severe stroke, then surgery maybe needed. Whether you're 15 or 45, it is never too early or too late to take care of your heart.