7 Curious Habits With Which We Damage The Health Of The Heart
Heart health, for many, is a pending account. According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), cardiovascular diseases are still the leading cause of death worldwide today.
It is also known that a good part of these human losses could have been avoided. How? By correcting certain lifestyle habits.
Habits such as smoking, improper diets, obesity, sedentary lifestyle and alcohol are triggers that lead to the onset of cardiovascular diseases that, in the long or short term, can have serious effects.
However, despite the fact that there is a small part of these deaths that are not related to these dimensions and that respond, perhaps to congenital factors, it is necessary that we assume new perspectives and better responsibilities.
Our lifestyle habits are related to worse or better heart health.
Let’s take care of ourselves, make small daily efforts and also reflect on these factors that we will now detail. Sometimes there are habits or situations that we ignore and that have serious consequences.
1. Ignore our snoring
We may consider it something normal, that we say to ourselves that “who else and who less, we all snore.”
It does not matter that our partner complains or that in the morning we wake up with fatigue and a headache: we let it go because we have the firm belief that it is not something serious. Thinking this is a big mistake.
In a good part of the cases, this snoring can be due to obstructive sleep apnea. This condition occurs with a sudden interruption of our breathing, which ends up altering blood pressure. This fact, experienced night after night, seriously affects the health of the heart.
2. Neglecting our oral health
This data is important and we must keep it very present in our day to day. Gum disease can affect the health of our hearts.
Periodontal diseases can range from a simple inflammation of the gums to more serious events that lead, in many cases, to the loss of teeth.
We cannot forget that the mouth is full of bacteria, and that plaque or tartar can pass into our body, causing inflammation. Those bacteria in the bloodstream can harm our heart health. Therefore, do not hesitate to visit our dentist regularly.
3. Consume an excess of red meat
Red meat is not harmful, as long as we consume it occasionally. It is not a question, therefore, of eliminating it completely from our diet, but of understanding that it contains a high content of saturated fats that affect our cardiovascular health.
Thus, it should not be regularly in our dishes, like products such as bacon, sausages or those meat derivatives rich in chemicals that, by themselves, are very negative for our health. The key, as always, is in balance.
4. Not being a smoker but living with other smokers
We may be active, athletic, healthy people, who care about taking care of themselves and away from those habits that, in the long term, have consequences for our heart.
However, we may have a co-worker who is a smoker. Furthermore, our partner may be.
We cannot ignore one fact, and it is the reference that passive smokers also develop cardiovascular diseases associated with tobacco.
Therefore, and as far as possible, we must ensure that our closest people stop this harmful habit for everyone.
5. Not consuming fruits and vegetables damages heart health
We all know someone who always tells us that: I do not like green, everything that is not meat for me is not real food.
However, “real” food is one that, due to its nutritional properties, affects our health, the correct functioning of the heart and our internal balance.
Fruits and vegetables are essential in a healthy diet. Disregarding them to opt for junk food or meat means having a high risk of developing a cardiovascular problem.
6. Emotional problems affect heart health
Problems in our work, disagreements with our bosses or colleagues, family pressures, worries, existential problems, unhappiness, the feeling of loneliness …
All these situations, maintained permanently, cause a serious impact on the health of the heart.
Stress, anxiety or dissatisfaction translate into a high level of cortisol in the blood, and other hormonal alterations that, in the long run, wreak major havoc on our overall health.
7. Leave the annoyance I feel today for tomorrow
A chest pain or feeling pain in an arm, pain in the pit of the stomach, tension in the neck or jaw, experiencing excessive fatigue when climbing stairs, having dizziness, occasional fainting, rapid heartbeat, among others, are warning signs.
All these factors are associated, in many cases, with the symptoms that accompany a heart problem. However, a good part of us hardly have time to stop to make an appointment with our doctor.
It is nothing – we tell ourselves – it is nothing more than stress. We leave the annoyance we feel today for tomorrow or the day after until, finally, something more serious happens.
Let’s avoid these situations, dedicate time and understand that these small symptoms have a very specific purpose: to warn us that something is happening in our body.
