June 10-16, 2019 is Men’s Health Week. While men experience many health issues, the main one that seems to always take precedence is cardiac. Some men hit the gym to increase strength in their body muscles, but the most important muscle is your HEART. Heart disease is the most common cause of death for men in the United States. Heart disease is a term used to describe any disorder of the cardiovascular system, which affects your heart’s ability to function correctly. It is basically an “umbrella” term that includes coronary artery disease, heart failure, angina, arrhythmias and other heart-related irregularities and infections. When it comes to heart health, there is never a right or wrong age to start taking care of your heart. Here are a few men’s “Healthy Heart Tips” to help keep your heart healthy at any age.
Eat a Healthy Diet
One of the most important things that improve men’s heart health is by making smart food choices. Regardless of your age, everyone can benefit from a healthy diet-the food you eat can help to decrease your risk of heart disease and stroke. As part of a healthy diet, choose foods that are low in saturated trans fat and sodium and limit your calories by filling up on high-fiber foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains. A healthy diet includes limiting sugar-sweetened beverages and eating fewer fatty meals — add more fish, nuts and lean protein.
According to Everyday Health, “Energy drinks and energy shots contain up to 500 milligrams (mg) of caffeine per can or bottle compared with 100 mg in a typical cup of coffee, or about 50 mg in 12 ounces of caffeinated soda. What’s more, many energy drink labels don’t accurately disclose caffeine levels, found a Consumer Reports investigation, and they’re also not FDA-regulated.”
Be Physically Active
Although it’s often easier to be and stay active if you start at a young age, getting physically active is possible at any age. Try to aim for a goal of 30-60 minutes of regular, aerobic exercise for 4-5 days a week. Simple activities, such as walking, biking or jogging are excellent forms of exercise for men’s heart health. The ultimate goal is to additional include two days a week for muscle-strengthening activities that will work on all of the major muscle groups (back, legs, hips, chest, shoulders, abdomen and arms).
Have Regular Wellness Exams
One of the most important things you can do for your heart as well as your overall general health is find a doctor and have regular wellness examinations. It is essential to talk to your physician about your eating habits, lifestyle habits and checking your heart rate, blood pressure and body mass index. The earlier you know where you stand with your numbers, the easier it makes it to identify any possible changes in the future. Surepoint Family Medicine can help keep you healthy with regular checkups and treatment
Although it seems that something as serious as a heart attack should have warning signs, it is possible to develop cardiovascular disease without knowing it, so it is never too early or too late to learn the warning signs of a heart attack. Although the most common sign of a heart attack in men is chest pain and discomfort, not everyone that has a heart attack will suddenly experience severe chest pain. It is possible to have discomfort that isn’t necessarily painful in areas of your body, such as your jaw, abdomen, arms, neck or back. During a heart attack you may also have nausea, shortness of breath, numb limbs, profuse sweating and/or lightheadedness. Surepoint Emergency Center can rapidly diagnose and treat heart attacks and cardiac emergencies.
Getting smart about men’s heart health early on will put you way ahead of the curve-the things you do and the things you don’t do are the tell-tale signs of a healthy future.
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