There are a number of obvious ways to help keep your heart healthy – many of which we’ve shared in our recent blog post on that very subject.
But on the opposite side of the coin, there are also some surprising activities that can harm the heart which you may want to avoid. After all, with over 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests each year and a current survival rate of just 10%, you can never be too careful, and prevention is always the best approach!
What is the most common cause of cardiac arrest?
The most common cause of cardiac arrest is coronary artery disease, which itself is the most common form of heart disease. It causes the heart’s arteries to become clogged with cholesterol and other fatty deposits, and subsequently reduces blood flow to the heart. This can lead to the heart going into ventricular fibrillation – otherwise known as a cardiac arrest.
But what kinds of unassuming activities can lead to coronary artery disease and other heart conditions? Here, we share some unexpected things that can harm the heart.
Eight surprising things that can harm your heart
1. Sitting in traffic often
If your daily commute takes you through traffic congested areas, you may want to look into finding an alternate route – it’s actually one of those things that can harm your heart. The reason is that high stress levels and lots of loud noises – like angry beeps from the car horns of your frustrated fellow drivers – have been linked with higher incidents of heart disease. If you can’t find an alternate route, then consider sticking on some music or an audiobook to keep you calm – or offer to ride share and talk with a colleague on the trip instead.
2. Poor oral hygiene
One of the easiest ways to harm the heart is to stop brushing or flossing your teeth. This is because gum and heart diseases share a link – albeit one that’s still a little bit of a mystery. It might be due to bacteria in the gums moving into the blood, though that’s yet to be proven. Still, we’d certainly suggest keeping on top of your dental health and having regularly check-ups at your dental practice.
3. Seemingly innocuous sleep disturbances
A lack of regular decent sleep (six hours at the very least each night) can lead to high blood pressure and raised cholesterol – two things you definitely don’t want when it comes to your heart health. Likewise, lots of snoring can not only keep a partner awake (leading to a lessening of their health and quality of life), it can also be a sign of sleep apnoea, a condition that causes a partially blocked airway and can even be fatal if left undiagnosed. Again, it’s a condition that can raise your blood pressure, as well as leading to an irregular heartbeat, strokes, or even heart failure – all things that can harm your heart in significant ways.
4. Unhappy relationships
We humans are a social species, with even the most hard-line introvert still built to connect with others. When our relationships are good, our bodies release lots of feel-good hormones that lift our mood. When they’re bad, our bodies can be flooded with stress hormones. That makes simply having a fight with a partner or loved on one of those surprising activities that can harm the heart in ways you might not realise at the time.
5. Feeling disconnected for long periods of time
At the other end of the scale from having unhappy, chaotic and fight-filled relationships can be having a lack of important relationships at all. Loneliness is often called ‘the silent killer’ for a reason – it can weigh on you heavily, and become one of those unexpected things that can harm your heart. So if you’re feeling a little isolated or disconnected from your loved ones, try reaching out – it could make the world of difference to your heart health.
6. Early onset of the menopause
If you’re a woman and start experiencing menopausal symptoms before the age of 46, you might also be at a higher risk of heart issues. That’s because early menopause causes a drop in oestrogen, a chemical which has a positive impact on your heart’s health. In these cases, we’d suggest taking our tips to keep your heart healthy even more seriously, and of course, talking to your GP about how you can better protect yourself from cardiac-related worries.
7. Working shifts outside of your natural circadian rhythm
Your circadian rhythm is basically your body’s internal clock. It loves routine, so if you go to bed at roughly the same time every night and wake up at the same time each morning, you’ll be well on your way to a healthier heart. Taking on shift work that results late or ever-changing working hours is one of those ways to harm the heart that are best avoided if at all possible.
8. Exercising outside of moderation
The last of our surprising activity that can harm the heart is exercise. The reason it’s surprising is it’s also one of the best things you can do for your heart!
The key here is moderation and exercising within your body’s limits. If you go from a couch potato lifestyle to trying to run a half marathon within a week or two, the thing you’re most likely to run into is health problems. If you gradually build your fitness and don’t do too much too soon, you’re likely to see the benefits of a more active lifestyle in how your body changes – and feel them too, in how your vitality improves.
Are you passionate about your health?
Here at WEL Medical we make some of the most usable and innovative lifesaving products around. So whether you need a defibrillator for your local community, or you’d like pointers or equipment for learning or teaching CPR, we can help.
Take a look at our blog posts below for more about heart health, and get in touch with us to see how we can help the people you care about stay safe and live healthy.
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