More than 2 million people in the UK have Coronary Artery Disease (CAD), otherwise known as ischaemic heart disease. It is a condition with a reduction in blood flow through the coronary arteries. Coronary arteries are responsible for carrying blood to the heart muscle.
The disease develops in your heart so slowly that you have a big window of opportunity for prevention. When you choose to combine a good lifestyle with healthy habits, you are in a better place to win over coronary artery heart disease. Go through this blog post to know everything about causes, symptoms and prevention of this heart disease.
What Causes Coronary Artery Disease?
CAD is a term to describe a condition when the blood flow in your heart is in a state of interruption due to a build-up of fatty substances (majorly cholesterol) in the coronary arteries.
The walls of the coronary arteries become hard due to the accumulation of these fatty substances. This is what we call, ‘atherosclerosis’. Lifestyle factors like smoking, excessive drinking are the major reasons why you are at greater risk of developing CAD.
There can other causes too, which include but not limited to:
- Having a family history
- Eating diets high in saturated fat, sugar, salt, trans fat
- Having diabetes
- Inactive lifestyle
- Having uncontrolled high blood pressure (hypertension)
- Being overweight
- Having high levels of LDL cholesterols
Symptoms That You Have CAD
You will start noticing symptoms of CAD, which are:
- Feeling nauseated
- Pain throughout the body
- Shortness of Breath (SOB)
- Chest pain or Angina
- Feeling fainted
While not everyone develops the same symptoms, or any symptom at times, it is important to make sure you book a consultation for private heart check-up.
Risks of Being Untreated When You Have CAD
It goes without saying that your heart muscles need an uninterrupted supply of blood. If there is no room for enough blood flow in your heart, it can lead to chest pain or angina. You run the risk of experiencing a heart attack when there is a complete blockage in one or more arteries. When there is not enough blood in your heart muscle, it can cause permanent heart damage or even death.
Can You Prevent CAD Naturally?
Preventing any disease is possible through a change in lifestyle. And CAD is not an exception. If you have a family history of CAD and wondering whether you can prevent it, there is good news for you. Follow these simple lifestyle changes to eliminate the risk of CAD.
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Take a healthy diet
Not all foods are meant to serve your heart well. Therefore, classifying which foods to intake and which you should not is a meaningful way to go about it. Focus on eating heart-healthy foods, vegetables, whole grains, fish, nuts, olive oil, lean protein, among others.
Do you have a sweet-tooth and can’t resist your urge of having sweets? If it sounds like you, make sure you think twice. Also, be sure to keep yourself away from fried foods, full-fat diary products, red & processed meats.
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Shed some extra pounds
A great way to prevent CAD is to being in shape. Excess weight tends to put additional strain on your heart, building pressure in your blood, leading to hypertension. Losing 5 to 10% of your total body weight can help decrease your blood pressure and cholesterol.
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Do regular exercise
In today’s busy world, seldom we find time to do exercise and keep diseases at bay. Experts advise against remaining inactive and not doing enough exercise that helps strengthen heart muscles.
Aerobic exercise happens to be an efficient way to keep heart muscles in shape. However, before indulging into any form of exercising, make sure you contact the heart specialist near you.
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Control the taking of alcohol
Are you into the habit of intaking excessive alcohol in your day-to-day life? If yes, then it is high time now to watch out your steps. In the long run, an excessive amount of alcohol can lead to high blood pressure, heart failure, and other life-threatening diseases.
If you are fond of drinking, there is no harm in low to moderate drinking. However, be sure to consult your doctor about whether it is safe to drink.
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Handle stress
We are more vulnerable to stress than never before. You cannot really spend a day without being stressed out. While our brain is somehow conditioned to handle stress, too much of it can cause damage in the arteries.
Therefore, managing stress becomes necessary. Create a schedule by incorporating some relaxation techniques that you think will work best for you. Meditation, yoga, breathing practices are to name a few.
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Take proper medication
When lifestyle changes are not enough, you need to take preventative measures by consulting a doctor. He or she will prescribe drugs to help prevent CAD.
Effective medications include cholesterol-lowering drugs, clot-preventing drugs, blood-pressure-lowering drugs and more.
Closing Thoughts
Coronary Heart Disease can be life-threatening if proper steps are not taken to prevent it. Being proactive about this can get you a long way down the line. While you may not think a bad lifestyle can be a problem now, over the years, you will start developing conditions that are not in your heart’s favour.
So, be sure to know your risks first, take necessary steps, and talk to your doctor if you are in doubt. Start making small changes at a time and do not hurry in the process. Doing your bit for keeping diseases at bay is a nice thing you can do to your health.