Eart-Healthy Tips for Seniors
Cardiovascular disease is one of the major threats to the health of seniors. According to a research, more than 80% of people aged 65 and above die of heart disease. Although the risk of heart disease increases in old age, by following a few simple tips, you can keep your heart healthy. Understanding the symptoms and risk factors can also help reduce the risk of heart disease.
Symptoms of Heart Disease
- Difficulty in catching your breath
- Weakness or dizziness
- Frequent pain in the chest
- Nausea and vomiting
- Indigestion problems
Tips on Reducing Heart Disease
Reducing the risk of heart disease entails keeping other diseases in check as well. There are a number of factors that contribute to heart disease and it's important that you take good care of your overall health. To keep you heart healthy, you should:
- Keep your blood pressure and cholesterol levels under control
- Have your diabetes under control
- Seek treatment for any chest diseases
The below-mentioned tips can also help you keep your heart healthy.
Many seniors simply give up on exercising because they think it can increase their risk of injuries. While it's true that heavy exercising might not be good in old age, you can certainly perform light or moderate exercises. However, it's important that you consult your doctor about which exercises are suitable for you.
Throw stress out of the window
It's well-known that high stress levels increase the risk of heart disease. Therefore, it's important that you take proactive steps to reduce your stress levels. Meditation, yoga, socializing, reading -- all of these activities can help you de-stress. Old age doesn't mean giving up on things that you used to love when you were young. In fact, now that you have the time on your hands, you should take up these things more actively.
Quit smoking
Smoking is bad at any age, and if you have been smoking all your life, it's important that you make an effort to quit it. Smoking can cause a host of health problems which can exacerbate your heart condition. It's also important that you don't quit cold turkey, as it can have a multitude of side effects. You can seek the assistance of a counsellor or a support group to help you quit smoking at the earliest.
Eat a balanced diet
Diet plays an important role in maintaining a healthy diet. You should incorporate fruits and vegetables in your diet while cutting down on high fat dairy and other meat products. You should also eat plenty of nuts and other high fiber foods as they will help keep your blood cholesterol levels in check.
Get regular check-ups
To reduce the risk of heart disease, it is advisable that you keep on monitoring your health. Get your blood pressure and cholesterol levels tested periodically to know about any potential risk factors.
These were a few tips for maintaining healthy heart in seniors. If you are a home health care service provider, it's important that you take care of the cardiovascular health of your client. Although this article is aimed at seniors, the tips mentioned in this article are pretty much true for a person of any age. Concluding, we hope that the tips mentioned in this article are beneficial to you