by Darla Youngblood
February is American Heart Month. It’s very important we take care of our hearts no matter what your age is. My Mom had Heart Disease and ended up having triple bypass surgery. She passed away in 2011. Because she had heart disease, I started doing echocardiograms and stress test on a regular basis starting in my late twenties. My heart was always good until I had to have surgery November 10, 2022. The surgeon wanted me to do a echocardiogram and stress test before surgery to make sure I could have surgery. This time the cardiologist found out my heart is slow to beat but luckily it’s mild right now and I’ve worked to get my blood pressure down and it’s normal now so I’m doing good!
I can’t stress enough how important it is to get your heart checked even if you think there is nothing wrong. I had a friend I grew up with who ate right, excersized and was not overweight. But he didn’t know there was anything wrong with his heart and died suddenly of a massive heart attack at 50 years old. So please get your heart checked on a regular basis for yourself and your family and friends.
Here is some helpful tips to keep your heart healthy.
1. Choose not to smoke, or quit smoking. Smoke damages blood vessels and can cause heart disease.
2. Maintain a healthy weight
3. Treat high blood pressure
4. Get active
5. Establish healthy eating patterns
6. Schedule regular checkups
7. Get a echocardiogram and stress test on a regular basis
These are tips I found on the internet and I’m working to do all of these right now to make my heart stronger .
Take good care of yourself! We have to do this for ourselves, family and friends. Heart awareness is the key to a successful healthy life .