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Uncle Meng is 60 years old this year, has suffered from heart disease all year round, and his daily habits are simply a living textbook of "how to make heart disease worse" in the eyes of doctors.
Uncle Meng himself is a retired librarian, and in addition to sitting on the sofa and watching TV, he is flipping through old books, and his life can be described as very quiet. However, behind this seemingly peaceful life, there are actually many hidden health risks.
Not only does he like to snore when he sleeps, but he also likes to sleep on his back, he never likes to wash his pillows, and he has not been able to quit smoking, which is believed to aggravate the problem of snoring, which in turn causes a greater burden on the heart.
One day, Uncle Meng was watching TV when he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his chest, which made his family very nervous and rushed him to the hospital. After examination, the doctor found that Uncle Meng's heart problems had worsened and he needed to adjust the treatment plan immediately.
At the hospital, Dr. Zhang, a cardiologist, made a detailed inquiry about Uncle Meng's daily habits. Dr. Zhang pointed out that some of Uncle Meng's habits should be the potential cause of his heart attack.
First of all, snoring is not just a minor problem while sleeping, it actually has a lot to do with sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can cause recurrent hypoxemia at night, which can increase the burden on the heart and worsen or induce heart disease in the long term.
Let's talk about sleeping on your back. When lying flat, the base of the tongue tends to fall back due to gravity, blocking the airway, which is why snoring can be more severe when sleeping on your back.
When it comes to not washing pillows, many people may not be aware of its potential health effects. Dust mites and other allergens accumulated on pillows can cause or aggravate inflammation in the respiratory tract, further affecting sleep quality and being detrimental to heart health.
Finally, smoking is undoubtedly a well-known habit that harms health, not only directly damaging the heart and blood vessels, but also indirectly exacerbating heart disease by affecting sleep structures.
Dr. Zhang advised Uncle Meng to make some lifestyle adjustments, such as trying to sleep on his side to reduce snoring, washing his pillows regularly to reduce airway irritation, and most importantly, trying to quit smoking.
After a few months, Uncle Meng adjusted his lifestyle according to the doctor's advice, and he found that his sleep quality improved, his snoring sound was reduced a lot, and even the pain in his chest was reduced. This made him deeply aware of the huge impact of lifestyle habits on health.
One day, Uncle Meng's son asked Dr. Zhang with some concern: "Doctor, does my father need to continue regular heart check-ups in this situation?" ”
Dr. Teo patiently explains, "Although your father's lifestyle habits have improved a lot, the management of heart disease is a long-term process. This is not only a monitoring of the condition, but also a guarantee of his future health. ”
Dr Teo also mentioned that they can refer to their previous medical records to compare specific changes before and after treatment, which helps to better understand the effects of treatment and necessary life adjustments.
The change in Uncle Meng is quite gratifying, but Dr. Zhang knows that there is still a lot of work to be done to completely improve Uncle Meng's condition. In his daily diagnosis, Dr. Zhang has noticed that in addition to his regular lifestyle habits, the management of his patients' emotions is an often overlooked aspect of their heart health. He decided to introduce Uncle Meng to some knowledge about the relationship between emotions and heart health.
"Uncle Meng, do you know? Our emotional state, such as feeling stressed, anxious or depressed, can have a direct impact on the heart. In fact, modern medical research has shown that emotional instability can increase your heart rate and blood pressure by activating your body's stress response, which can worsen your heart disease over time. Dr. Zhang said to him.
Uncle Meng was a little surprised, he had never realized that his occasional temper attack or anxiety could have such a big impact on his heart.
Dr. Zhang continues, "Yes, and studies have also found that constant psychological stress can even lead to a significant increase in the incidence of heart disease. Therefore, we should not only pay attention to your physical health, but also your mental state. ”
Dr. Zhang advises Uncle Meng to try relaxation activities such as gentle walking, yoga or simple meditation exercises. He explains that these activities can have a positive impact on heart health by helping to reduce psychological stress and regulate heart rate and blood pressure.
"Do you remember the last time you came for a check-up, we talked about the abnormal heart rate?" Dr. Zhang cites his previous medical records, "Part of the reason for that abnormal heart rate was that you were very anxious that day, and your emotions directly affected the work of your heart. ”
After listening to Dr. Zhang's explanation, Uncle Meng began to gradually realize the importance of managing his emotions, and decided to follow the doctor's advice and began to try to change his attitude towards life and face the daily small pressures more positively.
One afternoon a few months later, Uncle Meng's daughter, who is also a very attentive nurse, asked Dr. Zhang a question on the way to accompany her father for a follow-up: "Doctor, I would like to know, for the elderly, in addition to walking and yoga, what are the more suitable activities for the common way to relax their minds?" Do they really work? ”
Dr. Zhang replied, "That's a very good question! In addition to walking and yoga, I also recommend trying activities like gardening or journaling. ”
These activities not only help the elderly relax and reduce anxiety, but also promote physical activity and enhance metabolism.
In fact, many studies have shown that older adults who participate in these types of activities have much better overall heart health than those who don't. So, these simple activities aren't just about killing time, they're really protecting the heart.
What do you think about heart disease and snoring? Welcome to discuss in the comment area!