Know your heart, stay well

Heart disease is one of the deadliest silent killers. It is the reason for many untimely deaths as well as being paralysed due to heart attack and stroke.

Sometimes massive heart attacks occur without showing any earlier signs. Massive heart attacks often lead to paralysis or immediate death.

That is why it is high time we become aware of the disease right away.

Are you at risk?

Having no signs like chest pain and being able to work hard does not necessarily mean that one has a fit heart. Physicians ask some common questions to make sure whether a patient has any signs of heart disease:

•             Do you smoke?

•             Did anyone in your family had a heart attack or did anyone die at a young age suddenly?

•             Do you have high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol?

•             How active are you physically?

•             What is your stress level?

•             Are you obese?

If the answers of the above questions are ‘yes’, the individual is at high risk of cardiovascular disease.

Know your heart

It is necessary to know the signs and prevention measures of heart disease. One should regularly check blood pressure, carbohydrate and cholesteral level in the blood, weight and Body Mass Index (BMI).

Let’s take care of our hearts

We should raise social awareness about heart disease. We have to build a habit of having a balanced diet enriched with all types of foods, doing regular exercise, eating plenty of vegetables and fruits, avoiding excess salt, fatty foods and nicotine, sleeping at least eight to nine hours, spending relaxed time and avoiding stress.

*Sharadindu Shekhar Roy is a heart specialist in National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases. The piece originally published in Prothom Alo print edition has been rewritten in English by Farjana Liakat