The heart is the most important part of the body. And, not all know, but a lot of the times, people neglect taking their heart health seriously. Which results in strokes and even a heart attack. If your heart is not functioning the way it is supposed to, then you can be prone to many kinds of cardiovascular conditions and even sudden fatalities. The best way to avoid such mishaps is by taking care of yourself. And this starts with eating healthy. Read on to know more. Heart and diet Many wonder how can food and diet relate to the heart. There is a clear connection between the food you eat and the heart. When we load our bodies with junk food and unhealthy fare like excessively oily food, packaged food with too much salt and other ‘store bought’ food items, we also expose our bodies to the threat of choked arteries. Much of the grease and salt is not thrown out like the other dietary elements that enter the body. As we grow older, this accumulated levels of toxins can lead to elevated cholesterol levels, which leave us with heart disease, or at least the risk of it. Start now It is a good idea to take care of the heart.

What is heartburn? When stomach acid flows up into your esophagus, it causes a burning feeling in your chest and throat. This feeling is known as heartburn. This feeling becomes difficult to handle after eating food and can last for several hours. Heartburn is common and can be taken care off with over-the-counter antacids. Heartburn is also known as acid reflux, reflux, acidity, or acid indigestion. If you suffer from heartburn frequently, then you must talk to your doctor immediately. It is an indication of gastroesophageal reflux disease. Symptoms of heartburn The burning feeling occurs just after eating and usually takes place behind the breastbone. It can last from few a minutes to several hours. Heartburn is aggravated due to lying down, eating or bending over. You must always remember to see a doctor immediately if you experience chest pain. Never assume you are suffering from heartburn unless the doctor diagnoses it. Burning sensation occurs at the back of your throat. There will be a lingering taste of sour, hot and acidic liquid at the back of your throat. You experience difficulty in swallowing food. You will have a feeling that the food you have eaten is coming back to your throat.

How does one tell if he or she is having a heartburn? Read on to know more. Although heartburn can be traced to different causes, almost everyone experiences the same kinds of symptoms. It’s important to know what a heartburn is to identify and cure it. Knowing the causes 0f heartburn and accurately identifying the symptoms can help in the treatment. What is a heartburn? As the name suggests, the easiest and most accurate way to describe a heartburn is by an uncomfortable or a painful “burning” sensation in one’s chest. It may last any time between a few minutes to an hour. The pain and burning sensation aggravate if you bend or lie down. Heartburn trigger foods Contrary to popular belief, heartburn doesn’t refer to a problem in the heart. It’s a burning sensation that usually occurs after eating food. It’s caused by irritation or any disturbance in the food track, that’s triggered by acid in the stomach. Alcohol, black pepper, garlic, olive, tomatoes, peppermint, and caffeine are the common heartburn trigger foods. Over eating and wearing tight fitting uncomfortable clothes may also trigger a heartburn. However, it is really hard to generalize as each person is different and their body also reacts differently.

Heart health should never be taken lightly. Today, there are a number of factors that contribute to people developing stress, anxiety, hypertension, blood pressure, high levels of cholesterol, all which lead to one or the other symptoms of developing heart diseases. What works for men’s health, does not have to necessarily work for womens health. Often this logic is overlooked which results in symptoms of developing heart diseases being misdiagnosed since the data which is used for diagnosis is sourced from what has been researched for men’s health. For a proper diagnosis and effective treatment option, research for womens health should be conducted separately. Here are important heart health facts every woman should be aware of: The severity of symptoms: Heart disease symptoms experienced by women will be more subtle than what men experience during a heart attack. Early signs of a developing attack for women include anxiety which might be coupled with stress. Noticeable signs will include experiencing discomfort in your chest, difficulty in breathing normally, persistent feeling of fatigue, pain below the left shoulder blade among others. Men will have a more dramatic and severe experience of the first signs compared to women, which is why symptoms often go misdiagnosed for women.

Had a lot of greasy food last night? You must woken up with a burning sensation in your esophagus and discomfort in your chest and stomach. Acid reflux is an aberration of our digestive system. When we consume food, it generally goes down our food pipe (esophagus) to our stomach, where the food is broken down and digested. Occasionally, the acid produced during the breaking down of food is forced back to the esophagus. This causes a burning sensation in the lower part of the chest. Heartburn can be caused due to a reason as simple as your digestion system acting up. In such cases, you can follow certain healthy lifestyle habits and reduce the occurrence of acid reflux in your body. However, some times heartburn can be a symptom of something more aggravating. You should consult a medical practitioner if you notice that you tend to suffer from acid reflux quite often than normal. Here are a few small but effective habits you can adopt to ease your heartburn without popping any antacids bought over the counter. Watch what you eat: Food that contains processed sugar, caffeine, saturated fats are main culprits that cause heartburn. Avoid eating fried greasy food and carbonated soft drinks.

Heart failure is a condition when the heart is not able to optimally function and thus unable to pump blood properly. Heart diseases such as coronary artery disease or high blood pressure can make the heart muscles weak and damaged. But what is chronic heart failure? Chronic heart failure is ongoing as opposed to acute heart failure that may occur suddenly. Acute heart failure can occur all of a sudden when someone experiences a heart attack. In cases of chronic heart failure, the heart muscles weaken over a period of time due to other illnesses and eventually cause symptoms of the disease. It is a very common condition and can affect people of any age. Causes Heart failure can occur when an illness weakens the heart muscles. Coronary artery disease is one of the most common causes of heart failure. It occurs when the arteries become narrow due to fat deposits, thereby affecting the blood supply to the heart. Damaged heart valves weaken the heart, as it cause the heart to work extra hard. Cardiomyopathy or damaged heart muscles can occur due to hereditary factors, alcohol abuse, use of some chemotherapy drugs, cocaine use, infection and other diseases. Arrhythmias or abnormal beats can also exert extra pressure on the heart and lead to its failure.

In our face-paced lifestyle, our food habits have changed drastically. Fast foods and unhealthy eatables have become an inevitable part of our diet, causing numerous problems like diabetes, obesity, heart problems, etc. Although there has been a significant decrease in deaths due to heart diseases globally, a maximum amount of deaths in America are caused due to the same. Trans fat is the biggest culprit that’s present in junk food and packaged food. This artificially obtained “edible” ingredient is present in most of the food items sold in stores. As a result, people who consume trans fat can be victims of high cholesterol levels. The good news is that people are now realizing the importance of a healthy lifestyle and altered food habits. But, it’s still a slow process. While health consciousness started as a trend, it is successfully becoming a lifestyle choice of many Americans. Also, with the advent of technology, we have come to know a lot about cardiovascular diseases and ways to prevent it. For a healthy heart, one needs to eat healthy and exercise regularly. Here’s a cheat sheet of eating for a healthy heart that comprises a list of four food items that you should include in your diet to keep heart diseases at bay.

To many, heart failure would mean that the heart stops working. However, this is not what the terminology means. It means that the heart becomes weak and is unable to pump out blood as efficiently as it should. Also, the heart is unable to meet the oxygen and nutrients need of the tissue of the body. Congestive heart failure is generally classified into two types, one known as systolic heart failure and the other as diastolic heart failure. Congestive heart failure is no doubt a condition that is very serious and can disrupt an individual’s lifestyle. However, advanced medicinal developments have helped in lowering the severity of this disorder. Heart failure can affect any person; however, the older generation and people with heart diseases are more likely to be affected. Although the causes and symptoms will vary from person to person, here are some symptoms that you should look out for before it is too late. Falling short of breath – This is the first and the most common symptom of heart failure that an individual will experience. The smallest of activity will leave you panting. Not just this, even resting flat or waking up from sleep can leave you falling short of breath.

In brief, congestive heart failure is the condition where the heart cannot pump properly to maintain the blood flow in the body. The heart’s inability to pump sufficient amount of blood flow, as it seems, is a very dangerous condition and is fatal as this is one of the most vital activities that happen in a human body for it to function. There are many ways to prevent heart-related diseases and problems. Healthy diet, exercise, and overall healthy lifestyle can curb your chances of getting a heart disease by almost 80 per cent. Not just in America, but heart failure affects 40 million people globally. Like every disease and illness, heart failure too has many signs and symptoms. Heart failure can be distinguished in two types”right sided failure and left sided failure. It is important to know what each side of your heart does. Left side takes oxygen-rich blood from the lungs that has been received by the lungs from the right side of the heart. Failure of the left side of the heart causes blood to get blocked and congest into the lungs and failure of right side of the heart occurs when the heart is not pumping blood to the lungs sufficiently.

Heart is one of the main body organs, and one must take care of this life-giving organ. The number of heart patients, across the world, is increasing at a rapid rate, and heart diseases of various sorts have become common. Thus, it is high time we must learn the right ways to take good care of this pumping organ. Here a few tips that will throw light on the few healthy habits to keep your heart fit. Remember, if your heart functions well, so will your body. Quit deadly addictions Smoking is dangerous for the body, especially for the lungs and heart, and thus, must be given up as soon as possible. As per a research, after you quit smoking, you will have reduced chances of getting a heart failure, as lower as 50 percent after a year of quitting the habit, as compared to that of a smoker. So quit smoking and start concentrating on eating healthy and balanced meals for a healthy heart. Maintain a healthy weight Try to manage your weight as obesity can promote heart diseases. Taking a balanced diet with an intake of more of fresh fruits and veggies can help you stay away from heart problems.

There is no cure for chronic heart failure. But it is definitely possible to treat the condition through several effective treatment options depending on a person’s medical history. But first, what is chronic heart failure? It is a common condition, where the symptoms of heart failure appear and worsen slowly over a period of time. Heart failure occurs when the heart muscles become weak and are unable to function properly. In chronic heart failure, this can come about gradually due to a number of risk factors such as high blood pressure, heart diseases, diabetes, obesity and smoking. Treatment of chronic heart failure As chronic heart failure is an ongoing condition, it requires lifelong treatment and management. There are several different treatment options for heart failure such as the use of medications, surgeries and lifestyle changes. Medications:  Doctors may use one or more medicines to manage the symptoms of heart failure. ACE inhibitors are a type of medicines to lower the blood pressure. With its use, symptoms reduce and patients can experience better health. These work by widening the blood vessels. This action lowers the blood pressure and eventually decreases the heart’s workload. Beta blockers are drugs to slow the heart rate.