Week 2 Blog
🫀 Heart Disease 🫀
"The term "heart disease" refers to several types of heart conditions. The most common type of heart disease in the United States is coronary artery disease (CAD). CAD affects the blood flow to the heart. Decreased blood flow can cause a heart attack." - CDC (2024)
Sometimes heart disease may be "silent" and not diagnosed until a person experiences signs or symptoms of a heart attack, heart failure, or an arrhythmia. When these events happen, symptoms may include:
- An arrhythmia, or irregular heartbeat
- Heart Attack - chest pain or discomfort, upper back or neck pain, heartburn, nausea or vomiting, extreme fatigue, dizziness, and shortness of breath.
- Heart Failure - shortness of breath, fatigue, or swelling of the feet, ankles, legs, abdomen, or neck veins.
About half of people in the United States (47%) have at least one of these three risk factors. According to the CDC (2024), Key risk factors for heart disease include high blood pressure, unhealthy blood cholesterol levels, and smoking. Some risk factors for heart disease cannot be controlled, such as your age or family history. But you can take steps to lower your risk by changing the factors you can control.
Prevention Ways
- Avoid smoking or use of smokeless tobacco as the chemical contained in them can damage the heart and blood vessels.
- Get regular physical activity, aim for at least 30-60 minutes of daily activity to lower the risk of heart disease.
- Eat a heart-healthy diet; it can help protect the heart, improve blood pressure and cholesterol.
- Keep a healthy weight
- Get quality sleep
- Manage stress
- Keep up with regular health screenings
- Take the necessary steps to prevent any infections
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