Everybody Has a Hungry Heart
March 14th, 2005
By Stal Herz
The leading cause of death in America each year continues to be Heart
Disease, with the numbers usually hovering around the 700,000 range.
That number accounts for 30 percent of all annual deaths in the United
States. The sad part is that, for the most part, this condition is
preventable.
If this is so preventable, why are so many Americans stricken with it?
When the cells in your heart don’t get enough blood (which carries
oxygen to the heart) the heart simply stops working properly and begins
to die. Side effects and secondary symptoms derived from a
malfunctioning heart are numerous, so when you ask someone, "What
is heart disease," you should probably make that question plural.
Heart disease can develop from a number of various conditions, ranging
from erratic heart rhythms, to artery blockage to a clogged Aorta, a
main expressway for blood.
Often ignored and thought to be an upset stomach or indigestion, the
symptoms for heart disease resemble a combination of bad cramps and a
severe flu. People may experience bouts of dizziness and nausea, as
well as a squeezing sensation that runs from their necks down their
shoulders, ending in a tight squeeze in the chest area.
If you are experiencing these symptoms on a regular basis, especially
under stressful situations, you should consult your doctor immediately.
It is usually when the body is pushed that you can see what problems
lay underneath. The reason for this is that your body is built with
certain immunities and strength systems that are designed to absorb
heavy loads of work or stress. If there is a denial of essential
oxygen and blood to your heart, performing these tasks will be all the
more difficult.
For this reason, cigarette smokers, greasy food eaters and heavy
drinkers of alcohol are all at an elevated risk of developing problems
because they are using substances that prevent the proper blood flow
to occur inside of the body.
Common mistakes people make when trying to improve the condition of
their hearts is to engage in extreme exercises to try to build back
their strength. The return to exercise has to be a slow one, so if
you are starting to lift weights, make sure that they are very light
at first. It is the motion and the breathing that will improve your
health, the weight of what you are lifting is actually insignificant,
unless you are trying to look like a body builder.
Despite the old American spirit of General Patton and those of his
mind, pushing people to do beyond what they are capable of does not
necessarily apply when talking about strengthening the heart.
Too much work can easily result in a heart attack.
The stress from knowing that you need to improve your heart can also
do as much damage as it can good. Too much stress can speed up the
heart, causing your muscles to wear down under the constant barrage
of pressure.
Reducing the intake of coffee and some meditation may help to decrease
the risk of heart disease, while Pilates and various forms of Yoga
stimulate blood flow, as these exercises were designed to keep a
balanced body and healthy heart - A far cry from the western
culture practice of body carving. Consult your doctor on doing intense
yoga after a surgery, as the pressure may be too much. However,
if you are looking for a preventative measure, gazing towards the east
for advice may be a good idea here.
Sitting in traffic smoking a cigarette and drinking a coffee are three
roads that will surely lead to a heart attack if that pattern is kept
up for a prolonged period of time, so watch yourselves. If your diet
contains high cholesterol foods, you need to exercise to compensate
for the damage you have just done.
Keeping your body in balance will keep your heart beating long into
your life.
View Previous Articles
|
