If you are experiencing any of these symptoms, or feel that you are having a heart attack, call 911 immediately.
Making sure you’re also living a heart-healthy lifestyle is the key to prevention. Pushing past or ignoring early symptoms of cardiovascular disease can be all too easy while we focus on work, family, and the rest of the hustle of day-to-day life. Due to growing obesity numbers across the nation, heart disease is showing up in younger and younger ages.
An important tool is your primary care physician or cardiologist. Talking about heart health with a physician can help create a personalized plan that addresses any specific needs and goals. Prevention can go a long way towards maintaining heart health, and the cardiology team at Billings Clinic can help. For starters, they suggest the following:
- Maintain a healthy weight.
- Quit smoking or using other tobacco products and stay away from secondhand smoke.
- Control your cholesterol and blood pressure.
- If you drink alcohol, drink only in moderation.
- Get active and eat healthy.
Not only do these steps help prevent heart disease, keeping a healthy weight and lowering cholesterol and blood pressure levels can also help future generations do the same.
“You set a good example for your kids, for your family,” says Matthew Weiss, MD, Billings Clinic Heart and Vascular Cardiologist in Missoula. “You eat right, you exercise. They will see you do that and they will follow your example. That’s an important legacy and we all have that responsibility.”