5 Tips to Protect Your Heart with Age

If you’re like many people, you might not pay close attention to your heart health. Focusing on other things is easy when there are no signs of health problems. However, if a heart issue arises, you’ll likely be unable to focus on anything else. Heart health requires proactive effort at every age. 

Residents of Frisco, Texas, and the surrounding region have access to top-quality heart health services from Shahnaz Begum, MD, FACC, and the team at Heart Care. You and your loved ones are encouraged to visit us well before you experience symptoms. We offer a range of assessment and preventive health tools to support a healthy heart. We’re also proud to offer the following five tips you can use to keep your heart healthy as you age. 

Schedule a preventive heart health visit

You shouldn’t wait until symptoms arise to come in for a heart health assessment. Preventive care is a powerful tool in avoiding serious heart problems. 

At Heart Care, we love working with patients to find sustainable ways to enhance heart health. No matter your age or overall health, you can always take steps to feel and function better. 

The process begins with an in-depth evaluation of how your heart is currently functioning. This may include lab tests, in-house screenings, and a health history review. The results paint a picture of your heart health and give us a starting point to develop a personalized plan. 

Reassess your diet and activity levels

No matter how healthy your lifestyle is, everyone strays from the path from time to time. That’s why it’s so important to do an unflinching review of your diet every so often. If you find occasional treats slowly becoming part of your weekly routine, it might be time to restructure your nutrition planning. 

Fortunately, there have never been more resources for people looking to boost their nutrition. Many cookbooks focus on increasing your consumption of fruit, vegetables, and heart-healthy fats. 

Be sure to take a look at your activity levels as well. If you haven’t been as active as you like, consider adding a daily walk to your routine to get the benefits of fresh air and exercise.  

Manage chronic health conditions

If you have one or more chronic health conditions like type 2 diabetes or hypertension, pay close attention to how you manage these issues. For some people, medication is a good way to control chronic health problems. Others prefer to embrace lifestyle changes to bring their health to new heights. 

Chronic disease takes a toll on your body. Even conditions that don’t directly affect your heart health can leave you with less energy, making it difficult to actively improve your cardiovascular health. 

Learn about heart health symptoms

As you move through middle age and beyond, it’s time to familiarize yourself with the symptoms of heart disease. Chest pain is not the only indicator that something is wrong. Any of the following could be a sign of flagging heart health:

• Pain in your arms, shoulders, neck, abdomen, jaw, or back
• Nausea or vomiting
• Breaking into a cold sweat
• Shortness of breath
• Stomach pain or heartburn
• Fatigue
• Feeling lightheaded or dizzy

Once you know what to look for, it becomes easier to understand when to work with a heart specialist to screen for heart disease. 

Prioritize high-quality sleep

We live in a culture that almost celebrates lack of sleep. We compare stories about how we can get by on little sleep and seem to take pride in our ability to power through. In reality, sleep is essential for a healthy heart. 

Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep each night. If you aren’t getting enough sleep or don’t feel rested after sleep, you can do things to enhance your sleep quality. 

Whether changing your routine in the hours leading up to bedtime, finding a new pillow, or making your bedroom more conducive to rest, you can always take action to get the rest you need.  

Ready to begin? We’re here to help

The team at Heart Care is excited to partner with you to preserve heart health as you age. We encourage Frisco, Texas, residents to call or book a visit online. It’s never too early or too late to make heart health a top priority.