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It won’t be wrong to identify the heart as the main ‘powerhouse’ of the body. It is the heart that is responsible to pump blood to various body organs for their efficient functioning.
But just like any other body part, this ‘powerhouse’ ages with time. Therefore, it is bound to take other organs down with its ageing.
As you age, the capability to respond to changes in the pressure of the arterial system and elasticity gets reduced. Hence, the functions of the heart get influenced dramatically. This, in turn, increases the work required by the heart to pump blood to various parts of the body.
Hence, it is of huge importance to understand effective ways to prevent heart disease in your old age.
The best part? You can do a lot to lower your chances of getting heart disease.
But before we get to that, let’s have a look at the possible symptoms of heart diseases in your later stage of life.
Heart disease symptoms you should start noticing in your old age
Here are a few symptoms related to potential heart disease which should not be neglected in your old age.
Angina Pectoris: Also referred to as ‘chest tightness’, this symptom is reflected as pain in the left chest.
Acute coronary syndromes: Acute coronary syndromes that caution us of an impending heart attack in the future. They are more frequent with increasing age.
Too slow or fast heartbeats: Too slow or fast heartbeats are reflected as sudden sweating, fatigue, pallor, and dizziness.
Other symptoms of heart or cardiovascular diseases in old age are:
Shortness of breath
Numbness or pain in your arms, shoulders or legs
Pain in the jaw, neck, throat, upper abdomen
How can you lower your odds of heart disease with ageing?
Get going on the ways mentioned below can be of great help in knowing how to prevent heart disease with advancing age.
Include fibre in your diet: One should try to include more plant-based products in your diet as compared to animal ones. Why? Because plant foods contain more fibre, whereas meat products contain cholesterol.
Other fibre rich food, we suggest you should consume
Oatmeal, barley, brown rice, and other whole grains
Fruits and nuts
Beans and lentils
Soy items
Consistent exercise is the key: Staying healthy is the way forward to help reduce blood pressure, manage your weight, control your blood sugar, lower cholesterol and even reduce anxiety.
To do that, you can join a fitness class and jog with your friend in the morning. Make exercise part of your routine, like using stairs instead of apps, or walking to a nearby shop instead of home delivery, etc.
In case of any existing heart ailments, do exercise under the supervision or guidance of an expert.
Always get good sleep: If you are suffering from poor sleep in your old age, chances are you may be suffering from high blood sugar, diabetes, stroke, etc.
Moreover, if you are experiencing numerous pauses of breathing during sleep, then you have sleep apnea. This disorder is associated with greater perils of high blood pressure, heart failure, stroke, arrhythmias, etc.
Quit smoking: Smoking cigarettes trigger high cholesterol levels, obesity, high blood pressure, etc. which as a result can give a boost to your chances of heart disease.
Hence, talk to your doctor if you require help to stop your smoking habit. Few years of quitting smoking reduces the risk of your heart attacks to that of a non – smoker’s level.
Reduce anger and stress: Increase in stress levels can enhance your heart disease chances as well. When your body is under stress, it releases a hormone called cortisol, which can increase cholesterol, sugar and blood pressure.
Hence, find different ways in which you can regulate stress levels. Take part in a leisure activity, like reading, writing, drawing, etc. even if for only 15 minutes daily.
At Neotia Getwel Siliguri, our well-trained & experienced Cardiologists are known to provide the best guidance and medications for heart diseases, along with cardiac emergency management. To know more, book your appointment here.
