Myths and facts about heart disease

Having a healthy heart is the cornerstone of healthy living. Responsible for pumping blood around the body, the heart is the powerhouse of the body. Any issues therein can jeopardize the health of the body. 

To ensure a healthy heart, it is vital that you have sound knowledge about the heart functioning and activities that can affect its performance. 

Otherwise, it may so happen that your cardiac health comes under threat, meriting treatment from the Best Cardiologist in Lahore or worse yet, putting your life in peril. 

Myths and fact about heart disease 

Exercise is too strenuous if you have heart disease: Myth or Fact?

Myth 

It is a grave misconception that people who have heart disease must rest, as activity is too bad for their heart; unless your doctor has prescribed you bedrest, you mustn’t. Being sedentary is extremely dangerous; it can lead to the presence of blood clots in the legs, and thus impair health. 

Moreover, you must understand that the heart is a muscle, and much like all muscles, it becomes stronger from working out. When you exercise, your heart gets more muscles and thus stronger. Exercise also aids in improving circulation around the body as well. 

However, you may vary the intensity of the exercise as per your condition. Something as light as exercise can also be of benefit, so don’t right off exercise.  

People know when they have hypertension: Myth or Fact?

Myth

Unfortunately, for an issue as grave as hypertension, it is not always possible to feel the symptoms of the condition. Many people suffering from it don’t realize it unless their blood pressure rises to extreme levels or when the condition becomes very serious. 

Unchecked, hypertension cannot only cause death, but an uncontrolled blood pressure status can damage organs like eyes and the kidneys. It can also cause complications like stroke as well. 

Quitting smoking helps in lowering risk of heart disease: Myth or Fact?

Fact

Even if you have been smoking for a long time, leaving smoking helps in improving the heart health almost immediately. Over time, body helps in undoing the damage that cigarettes do. 

Heart disease only affect older people: Myth or Fact?

Myth

While heart disease disproportionately affects the older population, but that does not mean that young people can walk Scot free. Young people can also face problems with their heart. 

Moreover, what we do during our youth very much determines the fate of your heart as you age. So, you cannot expect to eat everything that you want, don’t do any exercise, smoke, and not be careful about your weight and still have a healthy heart.

If you have a family history of heart disease, you’re bound to get it: Myth or fact?

Myth 

Whereas admittedly having a family history of heart disease does greatly increase the risk of getting heart disease, it certainly doesn’t set your fate in stone. Taking timely steps to protect your heart can help in preventing heart disease.  

After taking cholesterol medication, you may eat what you desire: Myth or fact?

Myth

Just because you’re trying to moderate the bad cholesterol doesn’t give you free reigns into eating what you want. Moreover, you also need to be careful about your diet as well; the drug won’t work as effectively if your diet is high in fat and bad cholesterol. 

You can eat fats with heart disease: Myth or Fact?

Fact

You can eat the good fats with heart disease, like those found in fatty fish, nuts etc. However, saturated and trans fats are not healthy for anyone, let alone the ones with heart disease. 

Only uncontrolled diabetes affects the heart: Myth or Fact?

Myth

Even if you have your diabetes under control, you must still confer with your doctor at Shaafi International Hospital for heart disease management, as diabetes in general increases the risk of heart-related complications.