bad habits that one should change and avoid to protect himself from heart disease

bad habits that one should change and avoid to protect himself from heart disease

Heart disease has become a major concern over the decades in the health sectors due to the increased rate of death it has caused. Heart disease can be described as deformities or a disorder of the heart. The disease is relatively known as cardiovascular disease, a condition in which the blood vessels are blocked or narrowed, leading to a heart attack, stroke, or chest pains (Ansar & Ghosh 2016).  Coronary artery disease (CAD) is the most common heart disease that occurs when cholesterol up along the heart arteries, thus blocking the blood flow. Other heart conditions include; Arrhythmia, Aortic aneurysms, heart infections, dilated cardiomyopathy, myocardial infarction, mitral regurgitation, mitral valve prolapse, pulmonary stenosis, and heart failure. One’s lifestyle determines one’s risk of acquiring a heart disease. The major causes of heart disease are smoking, obesity, family history, junk foods, age, lack of exercise, cholesterol, and high blood pressures.  Being a deadly disease, heart disease is also preventable by embracing a healthy lifestyle. This paper explores the bad habits that one should change and avoid to protect himself from heart disease.

To begin with, almost one-fifth of heart disease deaths in the United States is as a result of smoking cigarettes. According to Stallones (2015), smokers are at a higher risk of acquiring heart disease than nonsmokers are. Smoking leads to clogging and narrowing of the arteries.  This reduces blood supply into the heart as well as the oxygen available in the body. Additionally, smoking increases blood clots and raises blood pressure, which also leads to heart problems.  Smokers should not only reduce but should quit smoking to reduce the risk of heart issues.  Complete cutting out smoking gets oxygen availability in the body back to normal since the carbon monoxide reduces, thus the reduced risk of heart problems.

Moreover, alcoholism, excess use of caffeine, and other drug abuse could lead to heart disease. Excessive consumption of alcohol affects the heart muscle by causing dilated cardiomyopathy. This condition is known as alcoholic cardiomyopathy, and it makes the heart unable to pump blood efficiently, which leads to heart failure. Alcohol also makes arteries to be stiff in men, thereby, increasing the risk of heart disease (Whitman 2017).  Excess drinking of caffeine increases the blood level of adrenalin, which increases the blood pressure, which exposes an individual to the risk of heart disease. Injecting illegal drugs leads to bacterial infections and collapsed veins in the blood vessels as well as the heart valves, which in most cases, leads to cardiovascular problems (Nishimura 2019. These cardiovascular problems ranging from abnormal heart rate to heart attack. Individuals must, therefore, avoid excess consumption of alcohol, caffeine, and injecting illegal drugs to protect themselves from the risk of heart problems.

Secondly, controlling health conditions such as diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure prevents one from the risk of heart problems. Uncontrolled diabetes causes high glucose levels leading to hardening of the arteries (Ansar & Ghosh 2016). This is due to the building up of cholesterol, which increases the risk of atherosclerosis and plaques formation in the blood vessels. The arteries are narrowed down hence slowing down or blocking the flow of blood to the heart. As a result, there is an insufficient supply of nutrients and oxygen to the heart leading to health problems. Uncontrolled high blood pressure may also lead to thickening and hardening of the arteries, thus the risk of heart disease (Ettehad 2016). Patients with such health conditions should, therefore, embark ongoing for regular health checkups to ensure that their conditions are normal hence reducing the risk of heart problems.

Thirdly, avoiding being obese also helps in reducing the risk of heart problems. Obesity makes one’s body to require more blood for supplying nutrients and oxygen throughout the body, which increases one’s blood pressure. High blood pressure exposes one to the risk of heart issues. Excess weight is the leading cause of diabetes, which, if uncontrolled, could lead to heart problems. Most obese people end up being diagnosed with heart problems (Lavie et al., 2016). Overweight people, especially those from families with heart diseases, must work on losing weight to reduce the risk of having heart problems. Additionally, regular physical exercise is also necessary to reduce weight for obese individuals. It also helps to reduce cholesterol levels, thus reducing atherosclerosis and plaques formation in the blood vessels, thus reducing the supply of blood to the heart.  Regular exercise strengthens the circulatory system as well as the heart system as it enhances a sufficient supply of oxygen and nutrients to the heart hence avoiding issues associated with the heart (Chauhan 2017). Regular exercise also helps to maintain one’s blood pressure, which, if not controlled, increases the chances of heart problems. Individuals must, therefore, avoid being inactive and staying in a stationary position. Those that are office-based should avoid sitting all day, using vehicles for short distances, or using lifts all the time and should ensure that they walk and even engage in other exercises as it could reduce the risk of heart disease.

Fourthly, managing, and reducing stress protects people from the risk of heart disease. Stress exposes the body to persistent and uncontrollable levels of stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline, which increase the breathing and heart rate (Wright 2018). Adrenaline also increases one’s blood pressure, which is a significant factor leading to heart disease, thus high blood pressure. The blood vessels even narrow down, thus limiting oxygen and nutrients supply to the heart, which causes heart problems. Stress also affects how the blood clots, thus increasing the risk of a heart attack. Individuals must, therefore, find ways of managing stress either by enrolling for counseling sessions. One may also find other ways to reduce stress by meditating, regular exercise, eating healthy and well-balanced meals, and engaging in activities they love and enjoy doing. This way, individuals protect themselves against heart problems.

Lastly, avoiding poor diets and practicing good hygiene protects oneself against heart problems. Diet is another essential risk factor in cardiovascular disease. Diets with a lot of salt, cholesterol, sugar, and fats can expose individuals to the risk of cardiovascular disease (Gupta 2016). Junk foods may lead to health problems such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels, which affects how the heart functions hence leading to problems. Foods with a low-saturated fat, high plant, and high-fiber reduce the risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Furthermore, poor hygiene, especially poor dental health, can lead to bacterial infection. Bacterial infection in the bloodstream affects the heart valves, which increases the risk of heart infection (Janssens 2016). Individuals must, therefore, avoid taking poor diet as well as prevent tooth damage as it exposes them to the risk of heart issues.

In conclusion, individuals can only protect themselves from a heart disease being cautious about what they consume since what one consumes determines his risk of heart disease.  Prevention of heart disease starts from the prevention of other issues such as diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol as well as stress.  However, individuals from families with a heart disease history are at a higher risk of acquiring the disease and must be extra cautious about their diets as well as their health status.  Prevention of cardiovascular disease is not only essential for heart issues but also for other body functions.