Heart health mistakes made by men is very common in today’s restless and frantic life. There is a difference between the desire to keep the heart healthy and in taking appropriate steps in doing so. It is quite easy for men to lose track of their health and fitness in the busy schedule of life.
According to a study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), one of the common causes of death is heart disease in the United States. It further adds that every 40 seconds, someone dies due to a heart attack in the United States. Every year, approximately 647,000 Americans die due to a heart attack, that is, one in every four deaths.
7 Heart Health Mistakes Made by Men and How to Avoid Them
Heart health mistakes made by men can lead to harmful side effects on the body. In this article, we will take a look at the common Heart health mistakes made by men, which are responsible for poor health.
#1. Avoiding Preventive Care
A study shows that men, as compared to women, do not bother to visit a doctor regularly for checkups. Mostly, men only visit a doctor when they are feeling unwell or have a medical emergency. It means that men are less likely to get regular tests for blood pressure, blood sugar, and cholesterol, which are significant indicators to measure heart health. Men are less prone to report signs and symptoms such as breathlessness, fatigue, and chest pain, which can be suggestive of a heart attack.
How to avoid this
Men who visit a doctor and get regular check-ups to have a higher chance of preventing illnesses or catching symptoms at an early stage to avoid medical issues.
#2. Bad Diet
One of the biggest heart health mistakes made by men is eating a poor diet. Consuming a poor diet can lead to weight gain, which can cause health problems beyond cardiovascular problems.
How to avoid this
It is always beneficial to eat a healthy diet and maintain a healthy weight. A lot of people suffer from obesity and other weight-related issues caused by poor eating habits. Most men have extra weight in their midsection. Losing weight from this section of the body will decrease abdominal fat, lowers blood pressure, and reduces the risk of developing diabetes.
#3. Mistaking Erection Issues for Something Else
This can be another heart health mistakes made by men. Men of all ages can undergo some sort of erectile dysfunction. Many people are mistaken by assuming that erection issues arise from a mental state. Maintaining or getting an erection has more to do with the heart than with the mental state of the person.
Erectile dysfunction also referred to as impotence, acts as a barometer for men’s overall health. It is essentially caused by issues related to blood flow to the penis. The damaged blood vessels in the penis can be an early symptom of problems related to the heart.
How to avoid this
Visit a doctor if you are experiencing issues on a regular basis in getting and maintaining an erection.
#4. Physical Inactivity
Lack of exercise and physical activity can also be one of the heart health mistakes made by men. Many people are recognized for being overweight, overworked, and overtired. Approximately half of the people neglect the amount of exercise required to live a healthy life.
How to avoid
By making fitness and health as a priority, a person can reduce the risk of heart-related problems. Proper exercise helps in maintaining a healthy weight and a healthy heart.
#5. Thinking That You Are Too Young for a Heart Attack
Thinking that only aged people get cardiovascular problems can one of the popular heart health mistakes made by men. Men with the ancestry of early-age heart attack are at high risk for the same fate. If the person has a family history of a heart attack, in the male members of the family, before the age of 55 or female members before the age of 65, then that person can also encounter a heart attack, even in the 30s and 40s only. On average, men develop heart disorders ten years before women do.
How to avoid this
Whatever the age be, take preventive steps to manage the risk factors, such as, exercising, eating a heart-healthy diet, avoiding overweight, managing cholesterol, and high blood pressure.
#6. Self-Medication
This is very one of the common heart health mistakes made by men and women as well. People try to cure themselves by taking medications from the pharmacy, without consulting a doctor. But this practice can mask depression, which may further lead to heart disease.
How to avoid this
If a person is feeling sad or depressed or encountering changes in the way of eating or sleeping, seek professional help immediately. Heart health is something that people can’t neglect.
#7. Drinking Alcohol and Smoking
Health risks are associated with smoking and alcohol consumption. So, this can be one of the biggest heart health mistakes made by men. Smoking can damage the lungs and can lead to pancreatic cancer or lung cancer with an enhanced risk for heart attack.
Regular or excessive consumption of alcohol can cause high blood pressure which can enhance the risk of a heart disorder.
How to avoid this
Consider taking professional help in quitting alcohol and smoking. It not only affects the life of the person consuming it but also of those people who live around them.
Conclusion
It’s never too late to start taking care of the heart. Despite the fact of family history of heart disease or other related issues, one can always choose a better way of living. Get regular check-ups and follow a heart-healthy routine.
