As the "engine" of the human body, the heart continuously pumps blood to deliver energy and oxygen, keeping the body's organs functioning properly. It may seem very powerful, but it is one of the most vulnerable organs.
When should you pay more attention to your heart health during the day? This article will tell you about the 3 most vulnerable times of the heart, and also recommend a set of "heart care" methods for everyone.
Finding out the heart's "biological clock"
The heart has an internal "biological clock" that manifests itself as a fixed circadian rhythm, with a fast heart rate during the day and a slow heart rate at night. To protect the heart, know when it is most "vulnerable".
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1
When you wake up in the morning
When people have a slow heart rate at rest, after a night of metabolic consumption, the blood is relatively viscous, the blood flow is slow, and vascular embolism is prone to occur.
When you wake up in the morning, the sympathetic nerves are abnormally excited, which causes your heart rate to increase, your blood pressure to rise, and you feel emotional. If you are in a hurry to move at this time, high-risk groups such as hypertension and dyslipidemia may induce cardiovascular events.
Suggestion: Lie down for a while when you get up, and don't rush too much. Wake up with a glass of warm water and eat less greasy and salty foods for breakfast.
People with high blood pressure are best to take blood pressure medication after waking up in the morning to prevent blood pressure fluctuations.
2
9~11 a.m
At this time, the blood pressure is at a high value, the sympathetic nervous system is excited, and the person will feel excited.
At the same time, the muscles are in a state of flexible movement, and the superposition of various factors will lead to plaque instability and increase the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as angina pectoris and myocardial infarction.
Suggestion: Don't overeat lunch, take a walk after meals, and try to take a nap for half an hour.
Try taking deep breaths when you're stressed or in a bad mood to increase the oxygen levels in your blood, calming your brain and relaxing tense nerves.
3
15~17 p.m
After hard work in the morning, the body and brain have entered a state of fatigue, and the human blood pressure has entered a "peak" at 16 o'clock in the afternoon, which is easy to induce angina, myocardial infarction and other accidents.
Suggestion: You can stand up and move a few times between work, and you should not overeat at dinner.
Don't look at your phone all the time before going to bed, you can read a book or listen to music, so that your body and mind can completely relax and enter a state of readiness for sleep.
Caution:
Due to the actual situation of everyone, this timetable is not so accurate to the point, so it is for reference only. In fact, we should take care of our hearts in 24 hours by 365 days.
6 good habits to protect your heart
In order for the heart to continuously and powerfully pump blood throughout the body, it is necessary to know its preferences. There are 6 good habits in your life that can help maintain your heart health.
1
Diet should be controlled
Optimizing the quality of your diet is the key to cardiometabolic health, and it is best to do the following three things in a heart-friendly diet.
(1) Eat more fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Ensure the intake of at least 1 catty of vegetables and half a catty of fruits every day, and you can mix some buckwheat, red beans, etc. with staple foods such as rice and white flour, or replace some staple foods with potatoes and corn.
(2) Eat enough protein. Eat more white meat such as fish and chicken, reduce red meat such as beef, and consume enough eggs, milk and soy products.
(3) Eat less salt and consume no more than 5 grams of salt per day.
2
Get enough sleep
Studies have found that sleeping less than seven hours a night increases the risk of heart disease by 48% and stroke by 15%, respectively.
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The duration of sleep varies from person to person, generally speaking, 8~12 hours for children, 7~8 hours for adults, and at least 5~6 hours for the elderly.
3
Exercise is indispensable
Aerobic exercises, such as jogging, swimming, tai chi, yoga, etc., can make the heart more energetic and motivated. It is recommended to exercise for half an hour a day, at least 3 times a week, and try to get up and move for 3~5 minutes every hour when sedentary.
It is important to note that your heart rate should be monitored during exercise, and it should not exceed 20% of your basal heart rate, which is about 120 beats per minute.
4
Drink 5 glasses of water
When people are dehydrated, the hematocrit increases, the blood viscosity increases, and cardiovascular disease is susceptible.
Adults should drink 1500~1700 ml of water per day, and at least 5 cups of water per day based on 300 ml per cup.
Patients with heart disease should not drink a large amount of water, and should drink a small amount of water many times, and patients with renal insufficiency should drink a small amount of water.
5
Quit smoking and limit alcohol
All forms of tobacco, including secondhand smoke, cause inflammation, a prethrombotic state, and activate the sympathetic nervous system, severely impairing cardiovascular health.
Alcohol is also not beneficial to cardiovascular and cerebrovascular health, and it is best to < 25 grams (half a tael) per day for adult men and 15 grams < for adult women, or ≤ 100 grams of alcohol per week.
6
Keep a good mindset
Negative emotions can also affect heart health. For example, if you are under stress for a long time, stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline in the body will increase, and there will be a series of reactions such as increased heart rate, increased blood pressure, and vasoconstriction.
When you are in a bad mood, you can reduce the secretion of stress hormones and heal your emotions by means of deep breathing, meditation, music therapy, Baduanjin, Tai Chi and yoga.
Recognize the danger signals from your heart
The scary nature of heart disease is its suddenness and unpredictability, and it is necessary to be vigilant when there are several types of discomfort.
1
Chest pain, chest pain
If there is sudden chest tightness, chest pain that is not relieved, or symptoms that are not persistent but have frequent attacks, it may be an early warning of myocardial infarction.
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2
Unprovoked stomach upset
Heart problems do not always cause chest discomfort, even if there is no chest tightness or chest pain, simple sweating, nausea, vomiting, stomach upset, etc., may be heart problems that require further medical examination.
3
Blackening in front of the eyes
If you feel blackness or temporary loss of consciousness in front of your eyes, especially if you have coronary heart disease, cardiomyopathy and other structural heart disease in the past, you must seek medical attention in time.
4
Palpitations, shortness of breath or fatigue
If it occurs after respiratory or gastrointestinal infection, the possibility of myocarditis cannot be ruled out, and symptoms after recent overwork and heavy smoking should be more vigilant.
Although the heart is hidden deep in the chest, its internal changes can be revealed through the surface of the body, and the following signs may also be clues to heart disease.
· Earlobe creases. The capillaries on the ears are abundant, and once the blood flow in the body slows down and the arteries harden, the earlobes will first manifest themselves due to ischemia and creases.
· The neck becomes thicker. In general, a neck circumference of more than 39 cm for men and 35 cm for women indicates a thicker neck. People with thick necks have relatively high blood pressure, blood lipids, blood sugar and other indicators, which are closely related to heart disease.
· Pulse disturbances. A regular pulse rhythm of 60~100 beats per minute is an important sign of heart health, and beating too fast, too slow, or chaotic is a sign of heart disease.
· Ankle edema. Standing and sitting for a long time may cause edema in the feet, but if the above factors are ruled out and the feet have unexplained edema, it is necessary to be alert to the possibility of heart failure or chronic heart disease.
· Cold toes. If your feet are still cold in a warm environment, it means that there is a problem with blood circulation, and the root cause is mostly in the heart.