7 Things That Could be Making Your Heart Unhealthy

Heart health is one of the most important aspects of your health to be concerned about. Your heart is responsible for pumping blood through your body and needs to be in the best condition possible to ensure you live a long, healthy and fulfilling life. Keep these things in mind that could be detrimental to your heart and negatively impact your cardiovascular health.

Being Sedentary

Watching a lot of television means that you're sitting around a lot, and this is detrimental to your heart health. Try to get up and move during commercials, in between shows or at regular intervals to keep your blood flowing.

Getting Stressed

It's not always possible to eliminate all stress from your life, but constantly being stressed raises your blood pressure and isn't good for promoting heart health. Hostility, depression, and stress all make your heart work harder. Talk to someone to relieve some of your stress. Laughter is good for the body and getting a few giggles in might make the difference between a bad or good day.

Poor Dental Health

It might not make sense, but having poor dental hygiene due to lack of brushing or flossing can impact your health. Bacteria and plaque buildup in your mouth if you don't clean your teeth on a regular basis. This gum irritation causes inflammation in the body and can impact how your blood vessels function.

Excessive Alcohol Consumption

It's true that a glass of wine or can of beer every so often isn't harmful, but drinking alcohol too frequently is detrimental to your heart. High alcohol consumption has been linked directly to high blood pressure, heart failure and higher than normal levels of fat in the blood. Many drinks are also full of empty calories that contribute to weight gain. Limit yourself to no more than two per day.

Excessive Eating

Being overweight or obese is a significant factor in developing heart disease. Opt for water instead of sodas, juices and other sugary drinks. Eat more protein to feel fuller and limit refined carbohydrates such as bread and pasta. Eat smaller portion sizes and read nutrition labels to check calorie and fat content. Low-fat doesn't necessarily mean low in calories.

Procrastinating on Doctor Visits

It's crucial to detect health problems as soon as possible. Going to get a check-up once a year allows your doctor to check your weight, cholesterol, blood pressure and sugar levels. You don't need to have a family history to get cardiovascular disease.

Smoking

Smoking is not only bad for your lungs, but increases the chances of blood clots forming. These can block or restrict blood flow to the heart and cause plaque to accumulate in your arteries. Secondhand smoke can also cause this to happen.

Keeping your heart healthy is one of the smartest things you can do for your body. Watch what you eat, exercise on a regular basis and be conscious of what you're doing and how it impacts your heart health.