Don’t just sit there and assume that you are perfectly ok because you don’t have Cardiovascular disease history in your family. You could bring the “heartache” on yourself . Well, according to health.com these count as the worst habits for your heart and could put your heart in danger:
1. Watching TV
Sitting for hours on end increases your risk of heart attack and stroke, even if you exercise regularly. The lack of movement may affect blood levels of fats and sugars.
2. Leaving hostility and depression unchecked
Feeling stressed, hostile, or depressed can take a toll on your heart. Those likely to internalize stress are in greater danger of heart health.
3. Ignoring the snoring
Snoring can be a sign of something more serious like obstructive sleep apnea. This disorder, marked by breathing that is interrupted during sleep and can cause blood pressure to skyrocket.
4. Not flossing your teeth
There is a strong link between gum disease and heart disease. Not flossing means you will have sticky bacteria-laden plaque build up overtime which can lead to gum disease.
5. Withdrawing from the world
People with stronger connections to family, friends, and society in general tend to live longer, healthier lives. Everyone needs alone time, but you should still reach out to others and keep in touch whenever you can.
6.Eating red meat regularly
Red meat is high in saturated fat. Eating lean cuts of red meat once in a while is fine but when you make it your staple diet then you’re not doing your heart any favors.
7. Drinking too much alcohol
Excess alcohol is linked to a greater risk of high blood pressure, high levels of blood fats, and heart failure. In addition, the extra calories can lead to weight gain, a threat to heart health.
8. Overeating
Being overweight is a major risk factor for heart disease. Eat less, avoid oversize portions, and replace sugary drinks with water.
9. Assuming you’re not at risk
Cardiovascular disease including stroke, heart disease, and heart failure claim more lives in modern day than any other illness, including cancer.
10. Being a health procrastinator
It is mandatory to check your blood sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure to make sure they give normal numbers. If the numbers are elevated then you are at risk for silent killers like heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
11. Smoking or living with a smoker
Smoking promotes blood clots, which can block blood flow to the heart and contributes to plaque buildup in the arteries.
12. Stopping or skipping your medicine
It’s called a dose for a reason and it is mandatory to finish the full dose failure to which you may tamper with blood pressure rhythm.
13. Avoiding fruits and vegetables
Loading up on fruits and vegetables, nuts, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and protein, and keeping junk food to a minimum is the ideal healthy diet. Research has found that people who eat more than five servings of fruits and vegetables a day had about 20% lower risk of heart disease and stroke than people who ate less than three servings per day.
14. Ignoring physical symptoms
Getting excessively tired after doing things you normally did without difficulties could mean that trouble is brewing in the heart department. Never assume that you’re just out of shape. The quicker you realize there’s a problem and get treatment for possible trouble, the less likely you are to have permanent damage to your heart muscle.
15. Being a salty food snacker
The more salt one consumes, the higher your blood pressure rises. High blood pressure will put you at risk of kidney failure, stroke and heart attack.
16. Eating empty calories
A diet full of empty calories (foods high in sugar, fat and oil) increase the risk of obesity and diabetes.
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Credit: Capitalfm