Since the heart is the central organ of your body and maintains the proper function of all other organs, our at-home senior care providers offer information about the best ways to maintain hearth health to fight against heart and cardiovascular diseases.

Heart disease refers to a number of ailments that affect your heart including blood vessel diseases, such as coronary artery disease, heart rhythm problems, and heart defects you’re born with, among others. Cardiovascular disease involves narrowed or blocked blood vessels, leading to heart attack, chest pain, or stroke. Other heart conditions affect muscle, valves, or rhythm.

Many forms of heart disease can be prevented or treated with healthy lifestyle choices by knowing the symptoms. The warning signs of heart disease often don’t appear until you’re having a heart attack. Symptoms of an impending heart attack may include feeling faint, shortness of breath, chest pain, and sweating. Heavy indigestion, back pain, and irregular heartbeat are also possible signs.  Seek immediate medical attention if you or someone experiences these symptoms, as prompt treatment is crucial.

While the risk of heart disease increases significantly with age, it is not an inevitable part of aging. These simple lifestyles changes, especially in diet and exercise, may help you maintain or improve your heart health:

• Exercise 30 minutes a day, at least three times every week. Try walking, biking or swimming to get started.
• Avoid tobacco in any form. If you do smoke, it’s time to quit and avoid secondhand smoke whenever possible.
• Eat a heart-healthy diet loaded with fresh fruits and vegetables with limited saturated fats, salt, and foods containing cholesterol, like fatty meats.
• Get regular check-ups to monitor that blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose, remain at healthy levels.
• Reduce your alcohol intake as excess alcohol consumption can worsen health conditions that contribute to heart disease, like blood pressure, arrhythmias, and high cholesterol levels.
• Minimize stress in your life by finding healthy outlets to relieve stress and lower your heart disease risk.
• Watch your weight as too many pounds can add up to increased heart disease risk. Maintain a healthy body weight for your size.

For more information about our in-home care services in Fort Myers, Bonita Springs, Cape Coral, FL, or the surrounding areas, call Assisting Hands Home Care at (239) 337-4263.