Heart Health and Quality Home Health Tips in Covington, TN
Comfort Keepers offers valuable information and resources regarding heart health and the quality home health services that help seniors stay on track of their health in Covington, TN, and the surrounding areas
Heart disease is quite common among seniors. In fact, 37.2% of those 65 or older had been diagnosed with heart disease, according to a study from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. At Comfort Keepers of Home Care in Covington, TN our quality home health services include care for seniors with heart disease.
What is Heart Disease, and how do you get it?
Heart disease occurs when the blood vessels and the circulatory system of the heart begin to have trouble working properly. This could be for a number of reasons, but one of the most common reasons heart disease occurs is from buildup along artery walls. This makes it hard for the heart to pump blood properly and can cause many problems and even lead to a heart attack.
Age, high cholesterol, obesity, smoking, and a poor diet can all contribute to your risk of heart disease. It can be hereditary, too - if your older family members have been diagnosed with heart disease, you are more likely to get it and should be vigilant of symptoms.
What are the symptoms?
Those with heart disease may have symptoms including shortness of breath, a fast heartbeat, lightheadedness, nausea, fatigue, and chest pain or tightness. Severe cases may have a blue tint to the skin or clubbed fingernails. These symptoms can be quite serious, so it’s important to stay on top of how you are feeling using quality home health techniques and to seek medical help right away if you or a loved one are experiencing them.
How do you treat heart disease?
While quality home health services can help you stay on top of your health, heart disease can only be treated with medications or surgery. Your doctor may start you on a medication, such as statins to lower cholesterol, blood thinners, beta-blockers to treat heart attack and high blood pressure, or ACE inhibitors for heart failure and high blood pressure.
For more severe cases of heart disease, surgery can be the best type of treatment. A heart disease patient may get a surgery to widen narrowed blood vessels or to fix a faulty heart valve. Coronary artery bypass surgery is common as well - this procedure helps blood flow to areas of the heart that were previously blocked off. Finally, a pacemaker might be installed. This device helps the heartbeat steadily and is used to treat irregular heartbeats.
Can you prevent it?
There are many things you can do to decrease your risk of heart disease. The biggest ones are to eat a balanced diet, exercise, and maintain a healthy weight. If you smoke, quit, and limit drinking in excess. Also, control any other condition you have, like diabetes or high blood pressure.
If your loved one has been diagnosed with heart disease, click one of the buttons below to reach Comfort Keepers Home Care in Covington, TN. Our care team is available 24/7 to provide quality home health services for your loved one.
