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Pulmonary Heart Disease - How To Keep Your Heart Healthy And Ticking For A Long Time

The heart is a vehicle for nutrients that come from different parts of our body. It is an extremely vital organ starting from when we were in our mother’s till the moment it stops. Our heart works tirelessly; the heart gives us the ability to live.

People who will not take very good care of their hearts will often develop some kind of heart disease. There are many types of heart diseases is the pulmonary heart disease or cor pulmonale.

Here Are Some Heart-Healthy Strategies:

• Lower your salt intake. This is the first step to control your blood pressure.
• Exercise consitently... exercise will strengthen the heart muscles, it will improve blood flow, and therefore it will reduce your high blood pressure, raise your HDL cholesterol "good" cholestero” and it will control blood sugars thereby helping with your body weight.
• Water is the “stream of life”. Being hydrated makes you feel energetic and it helps you to eat less! Try to drink 32 to 64 ounces of fresh water daily, (unless, of course, you are fluid restricted).
• Enjoy your meals and snacks. Your motto should be to eat healthy and natural, and definitely not to deprive yourself of food. You will feel more positive about living when you learn to enjoy your food. This helps you feel better and you will be less likely to overindulge.

Cor pulmonale – A Failure Of The Right Side Of Your Heart

Any situation that will lead to extended raised blood pressure in your arteries in your lungs will be poorly tolerated by your right ventricle in the heart. If your right ventricle fails or if it is not able to pump properly with this abnormally high pressure, this is called cor pulmonale.

Preventions:

• Avoiding bad habits that lead to chronic lung disease (particularly cigarette smoking) may stop the eventual development of cor pulmonale.
• Careful assessment of childhood heart murmurs could also prevent cor pulmonale caused by some heart defects

Tests that may help diagnose cor pulmonale: Echocardiogram, also known as heart ultrasound, Chest x-rays - talk to your doctor, CAT scan of your chest if warranted, Pulmonary function tests are also available, and, here are some others: Swan-Ganz catheterization, V/Q scan can), Measurement of blood oxygen by arterial blood gas (ABG), Lung biopsy (rarely performed), Blood antibody tests and Blood test for brain natriuretic peptide (BNP)

Treatments:

· A doctor will prescribe an anticoagulant to be taken long-term if he/she sees the need

· A diet low in sodium will often be recommended.

· Diuretics will remove excess fluid from the body.

· A doctor my give you calcium-channel blockers, these may be given to treat pulmonary hypertension.

• Surgery may be an option depending on your circumstances.

High Cholesterol Diet

Cholesterol is a certain type of fat that the body uses for a lot of things, such as creating new cells. However, too high a level of cholesterol will increase your probability of having a heart attack or stroke.

Here are some suggestions for you to lower your cholesterol and also to reduce your risk of heart disease:

• Eat more a lot more vegetables and fruits and whole grains including legumes. This is an important strategy in fighting heart disease.
• Choose your fat calories wislely and learn about the different kind of fats.
• Eat a variety and eat the right amount of protein foods.
• Limit your cholesterol consumption, read the labels. High cholesterol will very likely increase your risk of heart disease.
• Try to eat regularly, and healthy. Skipping meals will cause overeating.

Low-density lipoproteins (LDL): these are fats with only a little amount of protein. LDL is the bad cholesterol in the equation; this is what will clog your blood. If you have a high cholesterol reading then you will need to lower your LDL.

Here are some factors that will lead to high levels of LDL:

• Genetic inheritance, unfortunately this is a big time factor.
• Being overweight, especially being highly overweight, and if on top of this you are physically inactive you have double factors right there.
• Trans fatty acids will also raise LDL cholesterol. Choose your foods! Check and ask about trans fatty acids, one of the worst ingredients of today. And, cut down on: Pies and pastries, on cakes and biscuits.

Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits this is thought to have a protective effect against heart disease. Antioxidants in vegetables and fruits will help protect your LDL from oxidation. Now, here is a great tip: Red wine and certain teas can also be full of significant volumes of antioxidants, and so can coffee.

High-density lipoproteins (HDL) can help clear your bad cholesterol. HDL will also help your blood from. HDL is the good cholesterol. A high reading level of HDL 60 or higher- could protect you from having a heart attack or stroke.

High cholesterol is also hereditary. And, it is also caused by the foods you eat. Other causes could include:

• Your diet – how good or bad is it?
• Your weight – Are you keeping it real?
• Exercise!
• Cigarettes, salt, bad lifestyles, these will also affect your whole being.

Triglycerides are yet another fat type in your blood. If you do happen to have high triglycerides your chances of having a heart attack are very hight.

When you eat more then you need, or more then your body can use, your body will store it as fat. Obesity is just simply eating more then your body wants, or, eating the wrong foods.

People who have a surplus of body fat — especially those who have this fat at the waist — are more probable to develop heart disease or stroke, even if they do not have other risk factors. A surplus of weight increases the heart's work.

Medical Disclaimer: This article is designed for educational purposes only and should not be used in any other manner. This information is not intended to substitute for informed medical advice.