Wow, the heart is the coolest organ. Approximately the size of your hand, it is in charge of the body’s circulation system and delivers oxygenated blood to all cells. Even though the heart beats about 100,000 times a day, it can get sick. Heart disease kills more people than any other disease in the world. In India, it’s responsible for 27% of all deaths from NCDs. Knowing what your body is telling you about the health of your heart, especially the warning signs, and taking steps to keep yourself healthy can help you live a long, happy life. Read on to learn everything you need to know from Dr. Sanjeev Kumar Kalkekar, Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiology at Apollo Hospitals Navi Mumbai:

Heart disease danger signs

Heart disease is caused by a number of risk factors, some of which we can’t change, like getting older and having a family history of the disease. But a lot of risk factors are linked to how you live your life and can be controlled by making the right decisions. Heart disease is greatly increased by smoking, having high blood pressure or cholesterol, being overweight, not being active enough, eating poorly, living a stressful modern life, and drinking too much alcohol.

Smoking is especially bad because it hurts the walls of blood vessels, makes fatty deposits form in the arteries, and raises the risk of blood clots. Nicotine also speeds up the heart rate and raises blood pressure, which puts more stress on the heart. Too much drinking also raises blood pressure and can make you gain weight, which makes the chance of heart problems even higher. The risk is often higher when these things happen together, which is important to know.

Don’t get sick; avoid getting sick!

Heart health is best managed through preventive care. Everyone can take steps to lower their risk. The first is making changes to become more busy. Regular exercise not only makes the heart stronger, but it also helps you keep your weight in check, lowers blood pressure, and lowers cholesterol.

High blood pressure and inflammation are both caused by long-term worry, and both can hurt the heart over time. Managing your stress with yoga, meditation, or easy breathing routines can help you feel less stressed. There is a link between stress and smoking. Putting kids younger than 10 at risk for heart disease.

What you eat is also very important for heart health. It’s good for your heart to eat lots of fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean meats, and healthy fats like those in nuts, seeds, and fish. Cut down on prepared foods that are high in fatty and trans fats. These fats are bad for you because they make fatty deposits build up in the arteries, which raises the risk of having a heart attack or stroke.

Limit how much salt you eat. Blood pressure that is too high is caused by too much salt. This puts stress on the heart. Also, you should eat less sugar because it makes you gain weight and raises your risk of diabetes, which is another major risk factor for heart disease.

Regular check-ups, especially after age 25 for men and 30 for women, can help find health problems like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or early-stage diabetes. This way, the person can start taking medicine or making changes to their lifestyle right away to keep the condition from getting worse. People who have a history of heart disease in their family may want to start preventive checks even younger.

Pay attention to your body.

Don’t ignore the signs your heart sends you when something is wrong. If you have an odd pain, trouble breathing, or feel tired all the time, these could be early warning signs of a serious illness. Heart health depends on being able to recognize these signs and getting medical help.

Chest pain, also called angina, is one of the most common signs. It happens when the heart doesn’t get enough oxygen or blood. The level of pain can range from being very painful to just being uncomfortable. The neck, arms, stomach, jaw, or back may feel pain from this. Angina is especially scary if it gets worse after rest or during physical exercise or mental worry.

On the other hand, you shouldn’t ignore other signs like shortness of breath, tiredness, an uneven heartbeat, or swelling in your knees, ankles, or feet. If any of these things happen to you, you need to see a doctor right away. Heart attacks can also have mild signs like feeling tired, sick, or dizzy in women, older adults, and people with diabetes.

Your heart keeps beating hard to keep you living. We need to make a promise to give our hearts the love and care they need.