Heart disease is one of the major reason of death for both men and women in India. It's really important to know how to lower your risk of heart disease.

What you can do to prevent heart disease:

Eating healthy food and not junk food.

Be active.

Try to maintain healthy weight.

Say no to smoking also ignore passive smoking.

Control your blood pressure and cholesterol.

Try to consume less alcohol. Again if possible quit drinking.

Manage stress.

Are you at risk for heart disease?

Nobody can say that he or she is not at risk for heart disease. But below symptoms might notify that you are at higher risk for heart disease:

Have high blood pressure or high cholesterol  

Smoking

Got an overweight or obesity problem 

Not involve in enough physical activity

Don't eat a healthy diet 

Beside that, Your age and family history also could be the reason for heart disease. Your risk is higher if: 

You are a man and your age over 45

You are a woman and your age over 55

If your father or brother had heart disease problem before age 55

If your mother or sister had heart disease problem before age 65

Don't take it too seriously and create another problem for you, Rather you can centainly do some good practise and change your daily habits or lifestyle to prevent heart disease.

What is heart disease?

The most common type of heart disease are coronary heart disease OR coronary artery disease (CAD). 

When someone has CHD or coronary heart disease, the coronary arteries (or tubes) which is responsible for taking blood to the heart are narrow or blocked. This happens when cholesterol and fat, called plaque, build up inside the arteries.

Plaque could be caused by: 

Excessive fat and cholesterol in the blood

Smoking

High blood pressure

diabetes

When plaque blocks an artery, it's create problem for blood to flow to the heart. A blocked artery can cause heart attack or chest pain. 

What is a heart attack? Sign and symptoms before Heart Attack?

When the blood flow to the heart is suddenly blocked it could cause Heart Attack. There could be partial failure in the heart in case the person doesn’t get quick help.

Here are some common signs of a heart attack:

Feeling discomfort or pain in the center or left side of the chest – or squeezing OR fullness OR a feeling of pressure, 

Discomfort or Pain in the upper body – like the  neck, jaw, arms, back, shoulders, or upper stomach (above the belly button)

Breathing problem (while resting or being active) OR Shortness of breath

Feeling sick to your stomach

Heartburn OR Stomach ache  

Feeling like dizzy, or light-headed, or unusually tired

Breaking out in a cold sweat

Not necessarily everyone who has a heart attack will have all the above signs. 

If you feel changes (discomfort, chest pain, breathing problem etc), don't ignore it.

In general Heart attack happens all of of sudden. Also, it sign of heart attack can develop slowly with time – hours, days, or even weeks before a heart attack happens.

Consult your doctor if you feel tired for several days for unknown reason (unusual) , or if you develop any new health problems (like pain or breathing problem). It's really important to consult your doctor in case any existing health issues (like pain) are bothering you more than usual.

Can Heart Attack Happens for More than One Time - If you’ve had a heart attack in the past, what you should know that symptoms of a new heart attack might be different from the last one. 

What You Should Do In case of sudden Heart Attack?

Book an ambulance and go to the nearest hospital. EMTs (emergency medical technicians) can keep track on your health status and start life-saving treatments in the ambulance itself.

Good To Know Your Numbers

Take steps today to lower your risk for heart disease.

Control your cholesterol and blood pressure.

If you have High cholesterol and high blood pressure take it seriously as it can cause heart disease and heart attack. Try your cholesterol or blood pressure numbers and if they are high, you need to take actions to lower them.

Keep a track on your cholesterol level.

Remember that, It’s important to get your cholesterol checked at least every 4 to 6 years. Some people will need to get it checked more or less often.

Get your blood pressure checked.

It is recommended that get your blood pressure checked regularly, starting at age 18, As the High blood pressure has no signs or symptoms.

Refer watchdoq.com to get more recommendations based on your age and sex.

Always Consult with Your Doctor Before taking any medicine

Some Important things To Know about Heart disease - If you are in tension about a family member’s risk for heart disease, 

Ask your doctor about taking aspirin every day.

If you are age 50 to 59, taking aspirin every day can lower your risk of heart attack and stroke – but it’s not recommended for everyone. Always consult your doctor to find out if taking aspirin is OK for you.

You can also consult with your doctor about taking medicine to lower your risk of heart attack and stroke. 

As per the Experts some people ages 40 to 75 take medicines called statins if they are at high risk for heart attack and stroke. Ask these questions while talk your doctor about statins.

What is Healthy Eating?

Eating healthy can help lower your risk of heart related disease or problem. A heart-healthy diet includes foods that are low in saturated and trans fats, added sugars, and sodium (salt).

What are Heart Healthy Food? Heart-healthy food include high-fiber foods (whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) and certain fats (like the fats in olive oil and fish). 

Ask for a side salad instead of chips or french fries.

Try to Drink alcohol as less as possible.

Remember limiting your drinking to no more than 1 drink a day for woman and no more than 2 drinks a day for men. Too much alcohol can increase your risk of heart disease.

Physical Activity

Always be Active.

Adults need at least 40 minutes of exercise (walk, run, Yoga, aerobic, dance or other activities) every day.

If you are a starter, try walking for 10-15 minutes a day, a few days each week. You will notice the increament in numbers and deloped physical performance for sure, Then you can add more activity over time.

Maintaining a healthy weight Really Important.

Overweight or obesity can increase the risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. If you are overweight or obese, losing some weights can lower your risk of heart disease. 

Know your BMI (body mass index) If you not sure about your weight,

Always prefer these Healthy Habits

Quit smoking

Avoiding passive smoking is important, too – so keep your home smoke-free. If you have friends who smoke, ask them to smoke outside. 

Managing stress Could Be Helpful.

Managing stress can help prevent serious health problems like heart disease, high blood pressure and depression. Yoga, Deep breathing and meditation are some of the good ways to manage stress.