What happens when the heart stops? The circulation of blood seizes immediately and if this vital organ is not revived on time, the body also stops. This is not a thought that pops up in our minds every day. In fact, between paying bills and trying to keep up with life itself, we do not often remember that the heart pulls the plug on the being. How to take care of your heart is sadly the last thing on your mind.

Key Points:

The heart is a vital organ in your body that regulates the supply of blood. It is necessary that you take care of your heart and stay healthy for optimal wellbeing.
There are routines that can help you take care of your heart, such as exercise, adequate quality water, well-balanced diet, an average BMI, minimising stress, and regular appointments with your doctor.
Taking proper care of the heart is not an option. It is a must because, as human beings, our hearts symbol life, and a healthy one, a healthy life.

The World Health Organization (WHO) in 2016 revealed that in Nigeria, non-communicable diseases were estimated to account for 29% of all deaths, of which Cardiovascular Diseases (CVDs) contributed 11%.^.CVDs which have been found to be on the increase over the past 20 years in Nigeria include hypertension, heart failure, and stroke. (Samuel Ibiajulu and Chuka Timothy, 2020)

The relative smallness of the heart and its concealment from the outside does not mean it shouldn’t or can’t be taken care of. Then you will wonder on ways you can take care of your heart.

There are routines that can help you take care of your heart.

1. Consistent Exercise

Exercise is a mobile activity that does more than keeping you fit. Exercise is one of the ways to take care of your heart because it stimulates the muscles of your heart to be more efficient in pumping blood to the other parts of your body. Activities such as walking, jogging, matching and stretching allows the heart to push out more blood with each beat thereby controlling your blood pressure.

2. Get more Water In

There are simple things to do in your day-to-day activities to take care of your heart, like drinking adequate quality water. Water makes up 60% of the body. The brain and the heart are composed of 73% water. This implies that hydration is essential for survival. Dehydration strains the heart, thereby reducing the amount of blood circulation through your body. When this happens, your heart beats faster than normal, causing you to experience palpitations.

It is therefore important to drink lots of water, precisely 3.7 litres a day for men and 2.7 litres for women.

3. Keep a Watch on your Weight

A large body size puts your heart in a position in which it needs to pump harder to supply blood to all your cells. This is the initiator of high blood pressure. If you are mindful on how to take care of your heart, you can check if you’re overweight using the Body Mass Index (BMI) Tool and if you are, a healthy diet and exercise regimen can help.

4. Keep a Distance from Alcohol

The cardiovascular system is basically made up of the heart and blood vessels. When alcohol is introduced into the blood stream, it causes a temporary increase in heart rate and blood pressure. To take care of your heart, avoid alcohol, but if you cannot avoid it, drink within limit.

Drinking above the recommended amount in the long run can lead to tachycardia (a condition in which the heart rate is more than 100 beats per minute), weakening of the heart muscles and irregular heartbeat. If already addicted to alcohol or you’re not sure of the limit your body can take, you can speak to a healthcare professional who can help you on your journey to regulating your intake.

5. Watch Out for Stress

Stress is a thing you should minimise, if you want to take care of your heart. Stress can originate from work, depression, grief, financial strain and pretty much any aspect of our lives. Managing Stress is fundamental to maintaining a healthy heart. Why?

The cortisol level of the body becomes high due to long-term stress. This in turn leads to increase in triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood), blood sugar and blood pressure. There is also a build up of plaque in the arteries as a result of stress.

6. Watch Your Sodium Intake

Sodium alginate, sodium sulphite, sodium hydroxide and all forms of household salts are a risk when it comes to the heart.

Excess intake of salt leads to increase in blood pressure. To take care of your heart, it is therefore important to watch the amount of salt you take in daily.

7. Keep an Annual Appointment with your Physician

To take care of your heart, it is important to check your blood pressure, cholesterol and glucose level annually and discuss the results with your doctor. Following the medications if prescribed will also help in protecting your heart.

Get in touch with an expert today to talk about your heart and how you can take good care of it.

How telemedicine can help

It is crucial to receive the care you need if you have a cardiac problem or are experiencing disturbing heart-related symptoms. You now have an alternative way to consult with doctors thanks to telemedicine, which can be sometimes called virtual health visits. With the advancements in technology, telemedicine is a simpler way to consult with doctors, even for people who do not think they are computer literate.

If you wonder on ways to take care of heart, telemedicine grants you convenience and enhanced health through phone or video consultations between you and healthcare professionals.

Through the Kompletecare online platform, you can request a virtual visit with a variety of doctors, practitioners, and therapists.

When you are having a heart-related problem or want to consult healthcare professionals, telemedicine eliminates the need for you to drive, park, walk, or wait in a waiting area at the doctor’s office or clinic. From the comfort of your own bed or sofa, you can visit your doctor.

Telemedicine sessions can be used by doctors to pre-screen patients for potential infectious diseases in an effort to stop the spread of COVID-19, flu, or other infectious diseases. Additionally, it minimises the need for sick individuals to visit the office.

Telemedicine makes it easy to have a family member along to help with information gathering, questioning, and taking notes on your doctor’s responses when you consult with them. If you give permission, telemedicine can allow your family member to participate virtually in the visit, even if they reside across the city or even the nation.

Frequently asked questions

1.Can I make my heart stronger?

The healthier your heart, the better it is for you in so many ways. You can make your heart stronger by:

Eat a balanced or holistic diet: for a stronger heart, consuming a range of foods from all the food groups is necessary. The holistic diet is composed of a diverse range of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy products, chicken and fish, nuts and legumes, and healthy fat.

Avoid prolonged sitting: If you have a sedentary job, make an effort to get up and exercise during the day to help you maintain a healthy weight. To take care of your heart and make it stronger, you should try to take the stairs three times a day, get up, and walk for at least ten minutes each time.

Brush your teeth regularly and floss as well: There is no better way to take care of your heart than to brush you teeth regularly. There is a connection between your oral health and the state of your heart. Plaque build-up in the arteries is due to inflammation, so maintaining good dental health is beneficial for heart health.

Quit smoking: take care of your heart and make it stronger in better ways. Avoid cigarettes and vaping products in any possible way. Cigarette smoking increases the risk of heart disease, stroke, lung conditions, and cancer.

Snack wisely: for your daily snack, you can choose healthy nuts like pecans or walnuts. You can also have fruits like apples, grapes, and strawberries for a snack.

Minimise stress: constant stress is associated with cardiovascular disease and can raise your blood pressure. To take care of your heart, inculcate yoga, meditation, and physical activity into your daily activities, and also spend time with supportive friends to minimise stress.

2.What heals the heart naturally?

Certain lifestyle modifications can help you avoid or even treat heart disease. If you are looking to enhance your heart health, embrace the following changes:

Quit smoking: cigarette smoking increases the risk of heart disease, particularly atherosclerosis. To let your heart heal naturally, you have to take care of your heart by quitting smoking in that way you limit the chances of having heart disease.

Check blood pressure: There is no better way to take care of your heart than to check your blood pressure regularly. You should monitor your blood pressure frequently, if you are constantly having high blood pressure or have a history of heart disease. Normal blood pressure is less than 120 systolic and 80 diastolic (mm Hg).

Control your diabetes: ensure you monitor and control your blood sugar levels if you are diabetic. Strict blood sugar level management can lower your risk of heart disease.

Exercise: the best way to take care of your heart is through regular exercise. Exercise is generally good for you; it reduces your risk of heart disease by helping you reach and maintain a healthy weight. Exercise helps you manage your diabetic conditions, control your high blood pressure, and lower your cholesterol. However, speak with your doctor before starting any exercise routine, especially if you have a cardiac arrhythmia or malfunction.

Consume wholesome meals: consume a heart-healthy diet, such as vegetables, fruits, protein, healthy fats, and whole grains. Limit the consumption of refined carbohydrates, refined sugar, and processed foods.

Sustain a healthy weight: being overweight can increase your risk of heart disease. Maintain a healthy weight by ensuring an average body mass index (BMI) is achieved for heart disease prevention.

Control unnecessary stress: reduce stress in whatever way you can. You can practice stress-reduction methods like deep breathing and muscle relaxation.

Find a solution to your depression: depression can increase your chances of developing heart disease. If you are feeling depressed or uninterested in life, talk to your doctor.

Maintain proper hygiene: avoid infectious diseases like COVID, tuberculosis, and colds. Stay healthy, practice good hygiene, wash your hands frequently, and brush and floss your teeth. Get frequent medical examinations as well.

3.What drink cleans the heart?

Green juice

A green juice drink is the blending of healthy green vegetables, such as kale, celery, and fruits. You can add natural sweeteners, like honey. Green juice contains heart-healthy superfoods that are high in calcium, iron, and inflammation-fighting flavonoids.

Pomegranates Juice

Pomegranates are particularly heart-healthy fruits rich in polyphenols, micronutrients that promote circulation and reduce inflammation. Pomegranates juice is a good way to take care of your heart because the antioxidants in pomegranates aid in preventing stiffening and constriction of the arteries.

Tea

The best way to take care of your heart is to clean your heart with drinks like tea. Green and black teas contain flavonoids that lower artery stiffness, plaque build-up and inflammation. Phytonutrients found in tea are excellent for keeping your heart healthy.

Tomatoes juice

Tomato juice is another drink that can help you take care of your heart and prevent heart disease. Tomatoes are rich in vitamins and minerals, such as iron, magnesium, potassium, and vitamins C and E. A substance called lycopene is found in tomatoes, and it is an antioxidant that lowers cholesterol, strengthens arteries, and lowers the risk of heart disease.

4.Which foods are most heart-healthy?

The greatest foods you can eat to take care of your heart are those listed below:

Vegetables, including carrots, broccoli, and leafy greens.
Fruits: include oranges, bananas, lemons, and apples.
Whole grains include things like brown rice and plain oatmeal.
Dairy foods, like cheese, yogurt, and milk.
Foods high in protein include seafood, lean meats, eggs, nuts, and legumes.
Oils that are rich in mono- and polyunsaturated fats include avocado, sesame, coconut oil, and olive oil.
Foods high in mono- and polyunsaturated fats, such as almond butter, salmon, and nut and seed butters.

5.Which fruit is best for your heart?

Some of the greatest fruits for heart health, are:

Raspberry
Mangos,
Avocados,
Berries (strawberry, blueberry, blackberry).
Apples
Red grapes
Kiwi fruit

6.How can I check if my heart is healthy?

You can check the health of your heart through various methods listed below:

Pulse check: checking your pulse can indicate your heart beats per minute, and the result will determine how healthy your heart is by its regularity and strength.

Blood pressure: Your blood pressure can be taken by your healthcare professional, taking cognisance of the two important readings:

Systolic pressure (higher reading): This measures the blood vessel pressure while the heart beats, pushing blood into the arteries.
Diastolic pressure, or lower reading, is the measurement made after the heart fills with blood once more.

Echocardiogram

An echocardiogram is an ultrasound scan of the heart. It makes an image of your heart using high-frequency sound waves. It is a non-invasive operation often carried out by a specialist through the application of jelly to your naked chest and manoeuvres the probe around your chest to obtain clear images of your heart. An echocardiogram is capable of checking:

The heart’s dimensions.
How well the heart’s muscle contracts and relaxes.
The efficiency with which the valves function.

An electrocardiogram

An electrocardiogram, or ECG, records the electrical activity of the heart. The ECG helps detect irregularities in your heart’s rhythm or pace by reflecting activity in various cardiac regions. The ECG takes five to ten minutes to complete and is painless.

24-hour electrocardiogram or an ambulatory

The ambulatory test requires electrodes to be fastened to a belt and connected to a little box. You use this belt for a full day while carrying out your regular everyday tasks. Throughout the day, the ECG records any anomalies.

Stress test

Similar to an ECG, this stress test, also known as an exercise tolerance test (ETT) or treadmill test, captures heart activity as it increases, such as when you are walking on a treadmill.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

This non-invasive scan creates images of the heart and blood vessels using a magnetic field inside a scanning device. MRI is helpful in examining issues related to the heart’s anatomy and blood flow. MRI works better than angiography when obtaining images of heart structure and arteries.

Cardiac computed tomography (Cardiac CT)

A specialized X-ray machine is used in cardiac CT imaging; this device moves around your body and captures precise 3-D images of your heart.

Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy or thallium scans

This scan is done by injecting a little dose of thallium that help to indicate the degree to which blood flows through your coronary arteries to the heart muscle.

Coronary angiography

An X-ray called a coronary angiography is used to look at the coronary arteries that feed blood to your heart muscle. It is regarded as the most effective way to identify diseases affecting the arteries surrounding the heart, such as coronary artery disease.

Blood examinations

Numerous blood tests can be performed to measure various body levels that may impact the heart and to rule out alternative explanations of heart problems. If you start taking a new cardiac medication, you could also need blood work done.

The most typical ones are:

The Full Blood Count (FBC) test quantifies the concentrations of platelets, white blood cells, and red blood cells. Additionally, it measures haemoglobin, which is a component of red blood cells that carries oxygen.
Urea and Electrolytes: Urea levels aid in kidney function monitoring. Electrolytes aid in cardiac rhythm stabilization.
The glucose test quantifies the blood’s sugar content.
Thyroid and liver function: these tests assess the thyroid and liver functions.
Troponin blood test: When the heart muscle is injured, a protein called troponin is released into the bloodstream. Any injury to the cardiac muscle can be quickly and accurately measured by the troponin level.

Chest X-ray

An X-ray of the chest can be used to diagnose chest problems and to reveal the size and structure of the heart. Chest X-ray can reveal any fluid in the lungs, which may be caused by heart disease.

7.What are the first signs of a weak heart?

The signs of a weak heart can be noticed in symptoms like:

Cough.
Weakness, exhaustion, and dizziness.
Appetite decline.
Frequent urination at night.
Palpitations or a fast or irregular pulse.
Breathing difficulties during physical activity or after lying down.
Abdominal or liver swelling (enlargement).
Ankles and feet are swelling.

8.Is a banana good for the heart?

Banana as a fruit contains potassium, which is beneficial to blood pressure and heart health. You can get between 320 and 400 milligrams of potassium from a medium-sized banana, which is roughly 10% of your daily requirement. Your body needs potassium to keep its heart rate and blood pressure in check.

Reference

Ajmera, R., & Hobbs, H. (2023). 17 incredibly heart-healthy foods.

Brantley, A. (n.d). 6 drinks to boost heart health.

Lopez, J. (2023). Seven ways to make your heart stronger.

Health Xchange. (2021). 6 good reasons to eat a banana today.

NHS inform. (2023). Tests for diagnosing heart conditions.

Samuel Ibiajulu and Chuka Timothy. (2020). Cardiovascular diseases in Nigeria: What has happened in the past 20 years? Retrieved from Nigerian Journal Of Cardiology.

Sparks, D. (2019). Home remedies: Lifestyle changes can help your heart health.

Umenze, C. (2023). 10 side effects of too much alcohol on the body.