472-Heart Disease Natural Treatment And Lifestyle Changes
Heart Disease Natural Treatment.Discover natural treatments for heart disease, including lifestyle changes, and stress management tips .
Heart Disease: Meaning and Causes
Meaning:
« Heart disease » refers to a range of conditions that affect the heart’s ability to function properly. It’s also called cardiovascular disease. These conditions involve narrowed or blocked blood vessels (which can lead to a heart attack or stroke) and other issues like problems with the heart’s muscles, valves, or rhythm.
Main Causes of Heart Disease: Heart Disease Natural Treatment
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension):
Constantly high pressure damages blood vessel walls, making the heart work harder.
High Cholesterol:
Too much bad cholesterol (LDL) can build up in arteries, leading to blockages.
Smoking:
Tobacco damages the heart and blood vessels, increasing the risk of heart attacks.
Unhealthy Diet:
Diets high in fat, sugar, and salt can raise blood pressure and cholesterol.
Lack of Physical Activity:
An inactive lifestyle can contribute to weight gain, diabetes, and heart strain.
Obesity:
Being overweight forces the heart to work harder and often leads to high blood pressure and diabetes.
High blood sugar
High blood sugar damages blood vessels and the nerves that control the heart.
Excessive Alcohol Use: Heart Disease Natural Treatment
Drinking too much can raise blood pressure and contribute to heart damage.
Stress:
Chronic stress can damage arteries and worsen other risk factors.
Genetics:
Family history can increase your risk even if you lead a healthy lifestyle.
Quick Note:
Heart disease often develops silently over time, without obvious symptoms — that’s why regular check-ups and a heart-healthy lifestyle are so important!
Example:
Imagine a man named Daniel, 52 years old.
He has been eating a lot of fast food (high in fat and salt), rarely exercises because of his office job, and he smokes a pack of cigarettes every day.
Over the years, cholesterol started to build up inside Daniel’s arteries, causing them to become narrow and stiff.
This made it harder for blood to flow freely to his heart.
One morning, Daniel feels chest pain (called angina) while climbing stairs.
A few weeks later, he suffers a heart attack because one of the arteries supplying blood to his heart became completely blocked.
In Daniel’s case, poor diet, smoking, lack of exercise, and stress caused coronary artery disease, a type of heart disease.
Heart Disease Lifestyle Changes : Heart Disease Natural Treatment
Heart disease can be improved — or even prevented — by making certain lifestyle changes. The following changes can help anyone who wants to improve heart health:
Stop smoking.
Smoking is a major risk factor for heart disease, especially atherosclerosis. Quitting is the best way to reduce your risk of heart disease and its complications.
Control your blood pressure.
Ask your health care provider for a blood pressure measurement at least every two years. He or she may recommend more frequent measurements if your blood pressure is higher than normal or you have a history of heart disease. Optimal blood pressure is less than 120 systolic and 80 diastolic, as measured in millimeters of mercury (mm Hg).
Check your cholesterol.
Ask your health care provider for a baseline cholesterol test when you’re in your 20s and then at least every five years. You may need to start testing earlier if high cholesterol is in your family. If your test results aren’t within desirable ranges, your health care provider may recommend more frequent measurements. Most people should aim for an LDL level below 130 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), or 3.4 millimoles per liter (mmol/L). If you have other risk factors for heart disease, you should aim for an LDL below 100 mg/dL (2.6 mmol/L). If you’re at very high risk of heart disease — if you’ve already had a heart attack or have diabetes, for example — aim for an even lower LDL level — below 70 mg/dL (1.8 mmol/L).
Keep diabetes under control.
If you have diabetes, tight blood sugar control can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Move.
Exercise helps you achieve and maintain a healthy weight and control diabetes, elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure — all risk factors for heart disease. If you have a heart arrhythmia or heart defect, there may be some restrictions on the activities you can do, so talk to your doctor. With your health care provider’s OK, aim for 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity most days of the week.
Eat healthy foods.
A heart-healthy diet based on fruits, vegetables and whole grains — and low in saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium and added sugar — can help you control your weight, blood pressure and cholesterol.
Maintain a healthy weight
Being overweight increases your risk of heart disease. A BMI of less than 25 and a waist circumference of 35 inches (88.9 centimeters) or less is the goal for preventing and treating heart disease.
Manage stress
Reduce stress as much as possible. Practice techniques for managing stress, such as muscle relaxation and deep breathing.
Deal with depression.
Being depressed can increase your risk of heart disease significantly. Talk to your health care provider if you feel hopeless or uninterested in your life.
Practice good hygiene.
Stay away from people with infectious diseases such as colds, get vaccinated against the flu, regularly wash your hands, and brush and floss your teeth regularly to keep yourself well.
Also, get regular medical checkups. Early detection and treatment can set the stage for a lifetime of better heart health.
