How to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease Early

how to prevent cardiovascular disease

Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease occurs due to the heart and blood vessels being disrupted. Circulating blood throughout the body is a function of the cardiovascular, and once it gets some blockage or interference during this process, the blood circulation will be disrupted and various cardiovascular diseases will start.

Even though cardiovascular disease is various, the most recognized are stroke and heart disease. Based on WHO (World Health Organization), there are 17,6 million deaths caused by cardiovascular disease. One factor that causes the cardiovascular disease is an unhealthy lifestyle. Examples of unhealthy lifestyles like excessive alcohol consumption, smoking habits, eating too much junk food, consuming too much fatty food, and seldom doing some exercise.

The Various Cardiovascular Diseases

Here are some of the various cardiovascular diseases that you need to be aware of,

1. PAD or Peripheral arterial disease

Is a condition of plaque buildup that causes blocking in the arteries, and affected the blood circulation to the legs, which as a result blood circulation is disrupted. This condition will cause a lack of blood supply to the legs and lead to pain during walking.

2. DVT or Deep vein thrombosis

Is a condition where a blood clot is formed inside the veins. This condition is usually found in the calves and thighs areas. In some serious cases, this condition may lead the blood clot to travel to the lungs and cause serious complications like pulmonary embolism.

3. Cardiomyopathy

Is a heart condition for heart muscle disorder. Without proper treatment, cardiomyopathy can cause serious health problems like cardiac arrest, heart valve disorder, blood clots, and heart failure.

4. CHD or Coronary heart disease

Is a condition where a plaque buildup causes a narrowing or blockage inside the coronary arteries, and due to this condition, the heart doesn't have enough blood supply. Without serious treatment, CHD will be causing arrhythmias, heart attacks, and heart failure.

5. Arrhythmias

Is a condition where the heart has an abnormal rhythm or beat, like too slow, too fast, or irregular rhythm. The cause of these abnormalities is the electrical impulses that take control of the heart impulses have been disrupted and couldn't work properly.

6. Stroke

Is a condition where the blood supply to the brain gets disrupted due to the rupture or blockage of the blood vessel. This condition will be causing very serious problems because once the brain can't get enough blood supply, it means the brain will not get enough nutrients and oxygen, then the brain will be damaged.

For your information, in 2018 1 in every 6 deaths from cardiovascular disease was due to a stroke, and in the United State alone, someone has a stroke every 40 seconds! This disease is considered a silent killer because you may already suffer from a stroke but still do not even realize it. It's called a silent stroke.

Even though silent stroke symptoms have is very mild and not easy to recognize, the impact still causes brain damage. A study from 2003 showed that a third of people over the age of 70 will suffer at least one silent stroke. 

How to Prevent Cardiovascular Disease Early

Let's talk about how to treat a stroke you did not even know happened. Then what can we do to prevent these silent strokes from affecting our body health? How quickly should you get to a doctor? How important are brain scans? We will talk all about that and more.

Following are the prevention of Cardiovascular disease

1. Brain scan to recognize a silent stroke

Getting a brain scan maybe not be that really scary because we will be less worried once the silent stroke is already been detected, at least we can prevent further health problems in the future. A brain scan is really needed because silent stroke symptoms are so subtle, that you probably won't realize you had one until it shows up on brain scans. 

The damage that has been done inside your brain will show up on the scanner. With a CT scan or MRI, the image will show white spots and lesions in places of the brain that has stopped functioning. From here the doctors will be able to diagnose it as a silent stroke. So how do you know when to get a doctor? Sure, it's great to be on the safe side, but you obviously can't just walk in for a brain scan every couple of days. There are plenty of symptoms to look out for. 

The common stroke symptoms include memory loss, dizziness, headaches, speech issues, extreme fatigue, and poor balance. If you already suffered from a silent stroke but still doesn't aware that you have it, you will experience one of these symptoms. A major stroke is often associated with facial drooping. At some point, silent stroke symptoms are really subtle and the brain scan mistook the sign as an aging symptom instead of a silent stroke. 

The danger is if silent stroke symptoms don't get proper treatment or you ignored the symptom and leave it untreated, then it will cause serious problems because it can lead to a major stroke. If you have any of these symptoms at once, seek a medical professional. As I said, the sooner you seek medical treatment, the better chance you have. Have you ever undergone a brain scan or a medical scan of any kind? What was the process like? was it uncomfortable? Sound off in the comment section and share your story with the thebestwayforhealthylife.com community.

2. Hospital treatments

Now keep in mind, that when doctors say treatment, there is no cure for a stroke. It means doctors will not be able to simply reverse all the permanent brain damage which already happened. The bitter fact about the brain-damaged means the brain cell didn't get enough oxygen for some significant period until it gets really spoiled. 

Getting regular cardiac and vascular screenings can lower your chances of a major stroke. Here's where the problem lies. About 25% of strokes occur during sleep. Due to this situation, real measurement to detect the first stage when the victim suffered the stroke can not be calculated, and it affected the chance to recover sooner. Many cases found that the silent stroke attack around 9 to 10 hours before they realized it was a silent stroke, and this condition made it too late to get the chance to do the best treatment to avoid the fatal effect caused by blood clots. 

The chance that fatal effects can be avoided is within 4 and a half hours counted from the first time stroke started attacking your body. During this critical time, doctors still have a chance to administer drugs and try to get rid of blood clots and some more doctors can even extract the blood that causes a stroke.

3. Cognitive exercises

Practice small things to regain memory function is often suggested by doctors if a patient has experienced some cognitive damage due to a silent stroke. At least the parts that can be restored. Usually, all these steps of therapy focus on various tasks that we did normally throughout the day. These include things like chores, as well as necessary activities such as eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bathing yourself, brushing your teeth, and trying to wear your own cloth is also part of cognitive exercise.

Taking part in these routines is only allowed if doctors deem you fit to do so. Keeping placing items following their regular place or spot is another form of treatment that you can do to improve your cognitive function. These include your hair comb, shoes, socks, phone, house keys, wallet and etc. This exercise will help you grow comfortable with an everyday routine once again and challenge your brain to remember crucial details. At some point, it would be great to try to remember important dates like birthdays and monthly bill due dates. These exercises are simple yet very effective.

4. Preventative measures

While there are several methods of treatment after silent strokes, let's talk about something you can do to reduce your chances of getting one, We already touched on the importance of getting a regular check-up from your doctor. One of the things we can do is always maintain a steady blood pressure level. 

Based on studies, someone with high blood pressure will likely get a chance of suffering from a silent stroke. This means you should cut back on processed foods like canned food, fries, ham, sausage, bacon, and any other junk foods. Steering clear from the excess salt is one of the most recommended actions to avoid silent stroke happened. Experts have shown that by cutting down on your salt intake, you will lower your chances significantly.

Another diet-related change you can make is watching your cholesterol. Your ideal level of good cholesterol should be 60mg/dl (decilitre) with your bad cholesterol being under 100. A silent stroke occurs when the blood supply to the brain is cut off from reaching a small area of your brain. This causes irreversible damage to your brain cells. 

By keeping tabs on your cholesterol and sugar intake, you will maintain a healthy weight. This keeps your circulation going and allows oxygen to reach the brain with less obstruction. Let's talk about a preventative measure that needs its own subsection

5. Quit Smoking

If there is a history of stroke in your family, you're going to want to drop that awful smoking habit. Smoking cigarettes make you twice as likely to die from a stroke. If you smoke 20 in a day, you are six times more likely to have a stroke compared to someone who smokes free. 

The bad thing caused by smoking is thickened blood, narrowing arteries, and increased the chances of blood clots. These conditions will cause the disturbance of the blood flow and will disrupt the access to get oxygen through the blood. Tobacco smoke itself contains thousands of toxic chemicals and once all the toxic chemicals reach the bloodstream, those chemicals will damage your body's cells. Once the body's cells get damaged, it will increase your risk of a stroke.

Another fact about tobacco, the chemicals from tobacco smoke will cause the platelets to stick together. A platelet is a certain type of blood cell and if they stick together, it means you are likely closer to a blood clot. Within 8 hours of cutting cigarettes, your oxygen levels will return to normal Your carbon monoxide and nicotine levels will also reduce by more than 50%. Usually, the circulation will get better between 2 to 12 weeks. By nine months, your lung function has improved by up 10%.

6. Plenty of exercises

If you're already a nonsmoker, one of the best ways you can prevent your chances of silent stroke are by working out. I don't mean simply lifting weights. I'm talking about some cardio as well. Did you know that exercising for 30 minutes 5 days a week can reduce your risk of stroke by up to 40%? 

The best workouts for lowering your risk of a stroke are aerobic exercises. These help to work your cardiovascular system. They can also improve your lungs and circulation. Aerobic exercises include walking, cycling, running, and swimming. Aerobic workouts can also include weightlifting which will give you a burst of energy. if you feel like going for a simple walk, not only will you reduce your blood pressure, but you will also reduce your risk of diabetes, obesity, and heart disease. It is recommended that you walk at least 6,000 steps every day then step by step increase your steps to become 10,000 steps a day.

If you feel lazy to go to the gym, then you can start exercising at home following the guidance from youtube or simply buying a jump rope. Using a jump rope 15 - 25 minutes a day is terrific cardio. It can also improve your hand-to-food coordination. Whatever exercise you choose, will definitely improve your chances of healthy living. This means less of a chance of silent stroke.

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