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Smoking, whether directly or passively inhaled, is one of the major risk factors for heart disease and a leading cause of premature death worldwide – also in South Africa.
Impact of smoking on your heart
If you’re still smoking, now’s the time to quit – for good. Research shows that smoking:
- Doubles your risk of a heart attack if you puff more than 10 to 15 cigarettes per day.
- Doubles your risk again if you also have high blood pressure or high blood cholesterol.
- Increases your risk for heart disease and stroke 10 times if you’re on the oral contraceptive pill.
- Raises your blood carbon-monoxide levels, which may increase injury to the delicate linings of your arterial walls.
- Constricts arteries already narrowed by atherosclerosis, further decreasing blood flow.
- Increases blood clotting and the risk of peripheral arterial disease, coronary artery disease, stroke and obstruction of an arterial graft after surgery.
Risks factors for heart disease
Other than the direct link to smoking tobacco, other risk factors for heart disease include:
- Alcohol abuse
- Overweight and obesity
- Low fruit and vegetable intake
- High blood pressure
- Physical inactivity
- High cholesterol
Symptoms
Quite often people aren’t diagnosed with heart disease until it reaches the point of an angina, a stroke, heart failure or a heart attack. Symptoms of heart disease may include, but are not limited to the following:
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Lightheadedness
- Weakness or coldness in the legs or arms
- Numbness
- Fluttering in the chest
- Racing heartbeat (tachycardia)
- Fainting (syncope) or near fainting
- Slow heartbeat (bradycardia)
It’s vital that you monitor your cardiovascular symptoms and raise any concerns with your doctor.
Preventing heart disease
There are many ways to reduce your chances of developing heart disease or preventing your heart disease from being fatal. Start by making the following part of your health routine:
- Don’t smoke, or quit if you already do.
- Exercise regularly. Even a short brisk walk once a day is good for your heart.
- Use the stairs instead of the lift whenever you can.
- Maintain your ideal body weight.
- Get your blood pressure checked regularly and keep it under control.
- Find out what your triglyceride and cholesterol levels are, and control them.
- Eat more fruit and vegetables.
- Check for diabetes and, if you have it, learn to keep it under control.
REMEMBER: Because it’s easier to treat heart disease when detected early, you should see a doctor or specialist when you display shortness of breath, fainting spells or chest pains.
