HEART HEALTH

Heart health refers to the health of the heart as well as the blood vessels. For us to be healthy, there has to be proper blood supply to the various organs in the body.The heart is responsible for pumping blood to the various organs of the body. If the heart is not healthy, the other organs in the body will definitely be affected and if the heart fails to function or stops functioning, it could lead to death.

A healthy heart is a strong, hardworking pump made of muscle tissue.  It is about the size of a fist. The heart has four chambers, the upper two chambers are the atria and the lower two are the ventricles. The chambers are separated by a wall of tissue called the septum. Blood is pumped through the chambers aided by the four heart valves. The valves open and close to let the blood flow in only one direction. A defect in the heart may involve a valve, a chamber, the septum, an artery or blood flow issues.

The heart beats about 2.5 billion times over an average life time, pushing millions of gallons of blood to every part of the body. It also carries away the waste products of metabolism. Given the amount of work load the heart has to perform .it is of vital importance that it is kept health and performing at its best.

 Heart Diseases

Heart diseases are conditions that affect the heart and blood vessels. They include;

1.    Coronary artery disease.

2. Heart valve disease.

3. Heart failure.

4. Hypertension

5. Shock

6. Stroke

7. Peripheral vascular disease.

8 Atherosclerosis  

HOW TO KEEP THE HEART HEALTHY

The best way to keep the heart healthy is with a healthy life style. There are many ways to protect our hearts. Here are some of them;

A.    Stop smoking   ; Avoiding tobacco is one of the best ways to keep our hearts healthy. Smoking is a top risk for heart diseases. It is advised that you quit smoking as this can make a huge difference to not just your heart, but your overall wellbeing.

B.   Get active           ; Getting and staying active can reduce our risk of developing heart disease. Regular, moderate physical activity is great for our heart health. It is also advisable to break up our sitting time to avoid down for too long at a time.

C.    Eat a healthy diet; knowing which foods to eat more and which foods to limit or avoid is a good way to having a healthy heart.  Reduce the food you eat, eat more nutrient rich foods like fruits and vegetables. Drastically reduce or avoid high calorie foods such as foods as foods high in sodium, refined,, processed, or fast foods.

               Whole grains are a good source of fiber and other         nutrient that play a role in regulating blood pressure and heart health.

D.  Manage your blood cholesterol; Cholesterol is a fatty substance carried in the blood. The body needs cholesterol to be healthy, but an imbalance of cholesterol in the body can lead to a heart attack or stroke.

E.    Manage your blood pressure.

F.    Manage your blood sugar level.

G.   Reduce excess belly fat; Excess belly fat has being linked to high blood pressure and an unhealthy blood lipid.

H.  Putting our hands to work by engaging in activities such as knitting, sewing, crocheting, cooking and other relaxing hobbies can help reduce stress and do us some good.

I.      Manage your weight    ; being overweight can increase our risk of heart diseases.  Stay within the normal weight range by eating a healthy balanced diet that is low in fat and sugar, eat plenty of fruits and vegetables and also exercise.

J.      Cut down on salt    ; to avoid high blood pressure, it is advised that you avoid adding uncooked salt to your food, reduce the amount of salt used when cooking, and avoid ready-made foods with high salt levels.

K.   Reduce or totally avoid alcohol intake.

L.    Eat more of fish.

M. Have a good laugh. It is good for the heart. Laughing can lower stress, decrease inflammation in the arteries, and raise the level of our good cholesterol.

N.   Go for regular check-ups.