When it comes to heart health, your daily habits can make a huge difference.

The key to a happy heart is a healthy heart. Taking good care of yourself helps lower your risk for heart disease.

A heart attack can happen without warning.

Different types of heart diseases:

  • Coronary artery disease: This is when the arteries are blocked, damaged or diseased causing a heart attack
  • Congestive heart failure: A chronic condition where there is fluid buildup in the heart chambers and the heart can’t pump blood as well as it should.
  • Arrhythmias: An Irregular heartbeat, too fast or too slow. This can make you feel weak and tired.
  • Heart valve disease: One or more of the heart valves don’t work as they should causing a disruption to your body’s blood flow.
  • Congenital heart diseases: An abnormality or defect of the heart that developed before birth.
  • Heart muscle disease: This is a hereditary disease causing the heart to be enlarged, heart walls thickened and/or stiffened. This disease gets worse as time passes and the heart muscle gets larger or tissue stiffens.
  • Pericarditis: The swelling of the heart membrane (pericardium) due to infection, trauma or other diseases.

There is a vast difference between signs of heart diseases and a heart attack. Heart disease can lead to a heart attack

Symptoms of a Heart DiseaseSymptoms of a Heart AttackSymptoms of Heart Failure
Heart disease develops over timeWhen Heart diseaase becomes severe you can have a heart attackAs a heart becomes weaker it cannot pump enough blood to the body.
Developed slowly over timeIt happens suddenly and is a medical emergencyDeveloped slowly over time
A squeezing feeling or pain in your chest or upper body.Upper body pain. Women and men may feel chest pain or pain in the arms, back, neck or jaw.Fatigue and shortness of breath.
Shortness of breath or fatigue after moderate activity.Fatigue. This is common for women.Nausea or loss of appetite.
Shortness of breathBlood and body fluids to back up into your lungs.
Cold sweatsSwelling due to fluid buildup in your feet, ankles, legs, abdomen and veins in your neck.
Dizziness or nausea
Irregular heartbeat

Did you know?

  • Your heart is about the size of your fist
  • 60 seconds is all it takes for your blood to go from your heart through your entire body and back to your heart.
  • Your body has about 8 liters of blood

Here are 5 ways to beat the odds and reduce your risk of heart diseases.

  • Follow a heart healthy diet with lean protein, fruits, vegetables, whole grains and low-fat milk.
  • Maintain a healthy weight – cut back on foods high in fats and added sugars.
  • Increase physical activity – Excercise for at least 30 minutes of aerobic activity at least 5 days per week and your heart’s “ba-bomp ba-bomp” will sound like it should.
  • Quit smoking
  • Avoid too much alcohol.

Source: WebMD