Cardiologist shares symptom no one should never ignore with heart health
Millions of people are living with heart and circulatory diseases, and more than half of us will get one of these conditions in our lifetime, the British Heart Foundation estimates. This means that keeping an eye on our heart health and paying attention to possible symptoms of disease is vital.
Dr Darius Farzad, a cardiologist at Jefferson Health, stated that chest pain is the most common complaint seen in the hospital. He advised that if you are experiencing chest pain, even if it seems unconvincing, you should let a healthcare provider know about it.
He added that many people later diagnosed with heart problems will try to "ride out" chest pain for several days while chalking it up to heartburn. Dr Farzad warned against Googling symptoms and using online information as a health guide because "it's not always reliable".
If you experience new symptoms, you should be talking to a doctor, he said.
"The thing about some forms of heart disease is that they can manifest in a lot of different ways," Dr Farzad said. "And I think the other important thing about heart disease is that it's something that can be sort of systemic, meaning a lot of different organ systems can be implicated, and tied to what's sort of more centrally a cardiac diagnosis.", reports Surrey Live.
More than 7.6 million people across the UK are battling with heart and circulatory diseases, the British Heart Foundation (BHF) reveals.
These numbers soar above those dealing with cancer and Alzheimer's combined.
Alarmingly, this figure is set to swell even further, with predictions showing an additional million individuals could be affected by 2030, rising to two million more by 2040. A whopping 80% of sufferers also grapple with another health ailment.
If you've had any kind of heart trouble in the past, like heart attacks, congestive heart failure or arrhythmia, then a trip to the cardiologist is a must – especially if you're clocking high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, or have been puffing away on cigarettes. If your heart's setting off alarm bells with worrisome symptoms, Dr Farzad advises promptly getting checked out by a doc.
But what can you do to sidestep heart disease and become heart-healthy?
According to Dr Farzad, it's all about the right exercise and kissing smoking goodbye. Ditching the fags could, quite frankly, be the "most important, biggest thing" for your wellbeing.
A heart expert has highlighted the importance of diet in maintaining cardiac health, giving a nod to the Mediterranean lifestyle that shuns fried items, sugary treats, processed nibbles, and hollow carbs, while favouring fruit, vegetables, nuts, and lean meat. Yet, Dr Farzad cautioned: "We have to be really realistic about these things when we talk to patients and find a balance that's going to work for them and be practical."
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