Drugs can control symptoms, but in severe cases or after a heart attack, surgery may be the only option. Some risk factors you can change and improve upon, but some you cannot. Therefore it is vital that you make all the possible changes to your lifestyle to reduce as many risk factors as possible.
Two of the biggest causes of death in the Western world are heart disease and atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis clogs up the hearts arteries and is then known as coronary artery disease or heart disease. Heart disease may develop slowly and the first symptom may be a heart attack.
When one or both coronary arteries get blocked by deposits of atheroma, the tissue beyond that blockage no longer receive a healthy blood supply and results in the heart muscle dying due to oxygen starvation. The risk factors for heart disease are the same as those for atherosclerosis. In order to predict your risk factor your doctor will probably ask you questions about your state of health, your exercise routine, check your blood pressure and smoking habits. Some risk factors you can change and improve upon, but some you cannot. Therefore it is vital that you make all the possible changes to your lifestyle to reduce as many risk factors as possible. The risk factors that you cannot change are: - Genetic inheritances - Heart disease can often run in families and seems to be more common in people originating/living in northern Europe. - Gender - Men under 65 years are more likely than women under 65 years to suffer heart disease. This may be as estrogen gives women protection until menopause, but after menopause they are as equally at risk as men. - Ethnicity - Certain ethnic groups have indicated a higher risk of suffering from heart disease. - Age - Heart disease is more common with increasing age. - Diabetes - Diabetics are more at risk of developing heart disease or suffering a stroke. Controlling glucose levels will lessen the risk, but it is especially important to control other risk factors too.
Risk factors that you can change are: - Smoking - Between 30 and 40 per cent of deaths from coronary artery disease can be linked to smoking, therefore the more you smoke, the higher the risk. With smoking there is no safe level, not even one cigarette a day. After giving up smoking, the risk factor of heart disease does significantly decrease, but it can take up to 20 years to reach the level of a nonsmoker. - High blood pressure - Managing your high blood pressure can reduce your level of risk, although it will always remain higher than someone with normal blood pressure. Hypertension increases your risk of heart disease. - High cholesterol levels - Doctors agree that there is a link between high levels of cholesterol in the blood and heart disease. - Obesity - Being overweight definitely affects the health of your heart and the risk of heart disease is three times more than a person of a healthy weight. - Inactivity - Participating in regular physical exercise will reduce the risk of developing heart disease quite dramatically.
In the early stages of heart disease there may be no symptoms, until the later stages. The first symptom in the later stages is usually chest pains or possible heart attack. Some people develop arrhythmia and suffer from dizziness and heart palpitations. Drugs can control symptoms, but in severe cases or after a heart attack, surgery may be the only option.
The most common cause for insomnia is stress and worry about your everyday life. For example there may be problems at work that are keeping you awake, or you may be having financial difficulties. Maybe your partner is causing you grief? Whatever happens we need to find a way for you to isolate these thoughts and lock them away at will so that you can sleep well and awake refreshed and rejuvenated.
The most powerful technique I have come across to help combat this problem involves considerable self-examination. Take the time whenever your mind starts to wonder in bed and you feel unable to sleep to examine your thoughts and take note of the issues that keep on cropping up.
After a week or so you should have a pretty comprehensive list so put aside some time when you are reasonably awake to be alone. This is "me time" and for best results you should ensure that you are not disturbed so if necessary go for a drive or a walk to escape the noise and mayhem of everyday life.
You then need to explore each of your concerns, logically, on paper. Look at the problem and how you might solve it. Brainstorm solutions no matter how extreme they may be and take the time to assess your solutions at length so that after some time you start to feel somewhat calmer.
One thing that many people find is that actually facing the stresses and strains of life head on in a positive, problem-solving way will reap real benefits in creating solutions.
There are two final stages to this puzzle now that you have your list of problems and solutions.
Firstly, have the guts to start making those changes you have devised. Only by doing this will you truly rid yourself of these concerns and feel able to sleep properly. With each problem that you cross off your list you will find yourself becoming happier and less stressed. Life will seem more colorful and enjoyable and with luck you will find yourself better able to sleep at night.
Be aware that some solutions can take time to implement, while others may unfortunately be physically impossible which is where the final stage comes in - release. You need to get into the habit every night before bed of going back to your journal and noting down anything that has arisen during the day that you feel is causing you stress.
Then leave it there.
Whilst it will take plenty of practise initially, make a promise to yourself that once a problem is written down in the book, you will not think about it again until the following day.
Most often the problem will have solved itself by the end of the next day, and if not then problems never seem so quite bad in the cold light of day where you may realise it's not so bad after all, or at worst you will be in a better frame of mind to formulate a solution.
Both Michael Russell & Richard Adams are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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