HEALTH + WELLNESS
CLOSE TO YOUR HEART
FOR MOST PEOPLE , THE FOCUS OF FEBRUARY WAS MOST LIKELY VALENTINE ’ S DAY . WHILST YOU MAY HAVE BEEN CONCENTRATING ON THE PEOPLE CLOSE TO YOUR HEART , DID YOU TAKE TIME TO THINK ABOUT YOUR OWN HEART ? FEBRUARY WAS ALSO NATIONAL HEART MONTH , A KEY TIME TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH HEART PROBLEMS , AS WELL AS TO HELP EVERYONE LEAD A HEALTHY , HEART-LOVING LIFESTYLE FOR A LONGER , HAPPIER LIFE . AFTER ALL , THE BEST THING YOU CAN DO FOR THE PEOPLE IN YOUR HEART IS TO MAKE SURE YOU CAN BE THERE FOR THEM FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE !
Anne Hatswell , Interventional Suite Manager at KIMS Hospital
Did you know …
• The average adult heart beats 100,000 times a day . That ’ s between 60 and 100 times a minute . 1 By the end of a long life your heart may have beaten around 3.5 billion times . 2
• A healthy heart is roughly the same size as a person ’ s fist ( there are factors that change this though ). 3
• Your heart is actually in the centre of your chest . It feels like it ’ s to the left because this is where the largest part of your heart is .
Sadly , 73,000 people in the UK die from coronary heart disease each year . 4 Many of these deaths could be preventable if more people know the signs and symptoms to look out for in order to access the right treatment if and when they need it :
• Heart palpitations – the feeling that your heart is fluttering , skipping a beat or beating too fast . This can signal many heart and blood vessel related conditions .
• Shortness of breath .
• Discomfort or pain in your chest , upper back and arms – also known as angina , this is often triggered by exercise but can occur at any time . These symptoms can also signal a heart attack .
• Weakness , dizziness and fainting .
If you experience any of these symptoms , contact your GP or a specialist Cardiologist .
With these facts behind you , it ’ s reassuring to know that there are things you can do to improve and maintain your heart health :
• Eat a Mediterranean diet . In other words , a diet consisting of lots of fruit and veg , fish , fibre and Omega 3 .
• Stop smoking . Smoking raises blood pressure , thickens artery walls and makes blood clots much more likely .
• Exercise regularly . You should be doing around 30 minutes of moderate exercise a day , especially if you find yourself sitting for long periods of time .
• Keep an eye on existing health conditions . For example , having diabetes can increase your risk of heart problems , if it ’ s not maintained and treated properly .
If you ’ re concerned about your health or a loved one ’ s , it ’ s important to seek professional advice . KIMS Hospital has the only private interventional cardiology facility in Kent . This means that people in Kent can now access expert treatment in their local area rather than having to travel to London . The state-ofthe-art facilities at KIMS Hospital offer treatment and diagnostic care from a specialist team who will be with you every step of the way .
If you ’ d like to seek more information or have concerns , get in touch with the KIMS Hospital team who will be more than happy to book you in for a consultation or in-depth Healthy Heart Check with one of our specialists 01622 237 727 or enquiries @ kims . org . uk .
www . kims . org . uk
1 http :// www . everydayhealth . com / news / 9-amazing-facts-about-your-heart /
2 http :// www . health . com / health / gallery /
0 ,, 20572496,00 . html # your-heart-neverstops-0
3 http :// www . health . com / health / gallery / 0 ,, 20572496,00 . html # it-s-fist-sized
4 http :// www . nhs . uk / conditions / Coronaryheart-disease / Pages / Introduction . aspx
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