Tips on how to lower the risk of heart disease

Don’t be a casualty of a holiday heart attack

- CHESHIRE QUE, RND, RN, RD

The holiday season is not always merry. It is also the season when cases of Christmas coronary artery disease and unhappy New Year heart attacks happen. There are several factors that could precipitate heart attacks, and they are all lifestyle-related. Overindulgence in the consumption of fatty food, sugar, salt, and total excess in calorie intake, changes in daily routine that include no exercise and lack of good quality sleep, drinking of alcoholic beverages, and added stress. and the cold weather, which constricts blood vessels, can all contribute to abnormal elevations in blood pressure and clogging of arteries that lead to decreased blood flow to the heart, thus, causing a heart attack or, if the blood flow to the brain is impeded, a stroke, also known as brain attack.

A heart attack often comes as a surprise, but it should not because there are early signs and symptoms that people often ignore. The common signs of an impending heart attack may differ in terms of severity, as some may only experience mild symptoms. These are fatigue, lightheadedness, nausea, heartburn, indigestion, and a pain that radiates anywhere from the shoulder, arms, jaw, neck, teeth, upper abdomen, and chest. Chest pain is characterized by pressure and tightness that could also feel like something is squeezing the heart. These signs must never be ignored or taken lightly. Check your blood pressure, and if it is beyond120/80 mmHg at rest, you have to go seek medical attention.