It is no secret, yet a lot of women are still kept in the dark about heart disease. Women are at higher risk of getting heart disease, but the good news is, it is preventable. By being your own advocate and getting yourself educated about heart disease, you are making the most important step in raising awareness not only to yourself, but your friends, family and the community you live in.
Heart disease is something that you don’t tackle on your own. Just like any other diseases, you will need to rely on other tools and resources out there to help you understand it better. Building a support group is another way to raise awareness about heart disease. There are several things you can do now to help you prevent or reverse the outcome. The change should start from within you.
So, what are the ten things that can lower women’s risk of heart disease? It is no rocket science, but it does require discipline, patience and dedication on your part. Motivation is a “must” for you to make changes in your lifestyle for the sake of your heart’s health. The best time to start is now. You are not doing yourself any favor by waiting and proscratinating.
To find out whether or not you are at a greater risk of getting a heart disease, it is best to get an idea of your family tree. After all, heart disease is hereditary.
Don’t forget to see your primary care physician on a regular basis (annual exam). During this time, your primary care physician will order some blood tests that can help evaluate your risk of getting a heart disease.
As much as possible, if you are a smoker, try to quit now. If you are not a smoker, do not learn how to smoke and distance yourself from people who smoke. Second-hand smoking can pose a health risk, too.
Get a regular blood pressure check up. Nowadays, you don’t have to make an appointment to see your primary care physician just for blood pressure monitoring. There are a lot of pharmacies now that are offering blood pressure monitoring for free as part of their wellness program. The next time you see your primary care physician, simply ask for your baseline (normal) blood pressure reading and use it as a reference tool.
If you are diabetic, you will need your primary care physician and/or dietitian’s help to be able to control and manage your diabetes. If you are having some problems controlling your diabetes, you are putting yourself at a greater risk of getting a heart disease.
Getting your cholesterol check is also something you need to discuss with your primary care physician. Having a high cholesterol level poses a health risk, thus, increasing your chance of getting a heart disease. Cholesterol level is something that your primary care physician will have to order during your annual health exam.
Keep yourself active. Get yourself in the habit of walking three times a week or daily. Walking can help lower your risk of getting heart disease.
Pay attention to what you put in your body. Food gives us energy, but, if taken in excessive amount, it could actually do more damage than good. The goal is to maintain a healthy weight that your heart can handle. If you are carrying an excess weight, you are making your heart work harder than usual.
Try to reduce your salt intake, or even better, avoid added salt in your dietary intake. It may sound harsh and impossible, but, it can be done. Most food already have natural salt flavor in them, adding salt is not necessary especially if it could result to heart disease in the long run.
Maintain a positive outlook in life. Avoid stress, sadness or anger since building up negative emotions eventually increase your risk of heart disease. So, the next time you find yourself in a negative state, close your eyes, count to ten, then open your eyes and try to reset your mood into a positve one.
You may find some of these health tips harder to achieve than the other, it is perfectly fine to think this way, but, don’t talk yourself out of it, instead, take it as challenge to yourself. After all, you only have one heart. Take good care of it.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have medical questions or concerns, please seek the advice of your primary care physician.