Southwest Florida's Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles
In this day and age, people are living longer. What does this mean for your heart and the need to keep it as healthy as you possibly can,
for as long as you can? Staying healthy is on the forefront of most our minds. The aging population is primarily concerned about keeping up with their grandchildren and having the capability to freely live an active lifestyle well into their eighties and nineties, but the ability to make that reality is the real issue. Ideally, individuals should start to be mindful of their heart health from a younger age, but it’s never too late to improve your cardiac function or to get the treatment you need to enhance your lifestyle and over health.
Some of the things we can do are to follow a heart-healthy nutrition plan like the Mediterranean diet. We should also incorporate regular exercise and keep our stress levels down. If you smoke, you must quit now to help your body heal from the damage to the blood vessels and arteries that have already taken place. It’s never too late to stop smoking.
The typical coronary symptoms that we hear so much about in the news and from our physician are:
• High Blood Pressure
• High Cholesterol
• Tightness in Chest
• Shortness of Breath
• Jaw pain
• Arm Pain
• Back Pain
• Fatigue
These symptoms are significant indicators of heart disease, but the most common symptom that people have is —Ignoring their symptoms!
It’s the old adage of denial. If we just ignore or avoid the symptoms, then we don’t have to deal with any of the accountability. However, just like most things, if you ignore them, they’ll go away, but not in a right way. If left untreated, they will go away through deterioration and damage, and eventually death. Being proactive about your heart’s health is imperative.
Unfortunately, many people are more sedentary than they’d like to believe. A limited or lack of physical activity is not going to do your body or your
heart much good. In our modernized world, we have grown complacent. We don’t walk as much to get from A to B, instead, we drive a car to work, sit at a desk all day, drive home, sit down to eat dinner and then sit in front of the television until we go to bed. If this sounds even remotely familiar, you need to have a consultation with a cardiologist to test your cardiac condition.
Coupled with a sedentary lifestyle, the prevalence of individuals being diagnosed with diabetes is astronomical. Diabetes is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Very often obesity and diabetes work in conjunction to damage your heart and arteries, deplete your nutrient, oxygen-rich blood, and can cause venous insufficiency and blood clotting issues. If you have diabetes or suspect that you may, it’s critical to seek medical attention to get your blood sugar levels to a manageable state and to assist you with an overall healthy lifestyle plan.
There are multiple risk factors for heart disease and disorders:
• Age
• Family history
• Smoking
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Diabetes
• Overweight
• Chronic stress
At the Cardiac Care Group in Cape Coral, they provide a wide range of services that focus on the prevention, prompt diagnosis, and state-of-the-art treatment of cardiovascular disease. They pride themselves on being an exceptional practice where patients come first. All of their physicians and medical staff are highly trained professionals, maintaining the highest level of accreditation in cardiology to address the special needs of those they are privileged to serve.
Don’t Ignore Your Symptoms! If you or someone you know needs to have a cardiology consultation, are concerned about your risk factors, or are experiencing symptoms of chest discomfort, shortness of breath or other related issues, please contact them at (239) 574-8463
Dr. Joseph Freedman MD, MBA
Dr. Freedman brings many years of experience as a cutting edge cardiologist specializing in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of all cardiac disease. He trained at the prestigious Cleveland Clinic, continually ranked #1 in Cardiovascular Care, where he
focused on cardiac imaging. He achieved five board certifications in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, Comprehensive Adult ECHO, Nuclear Cardiology and Cardiac CT. During his tenure as the lead noninvasive cardiologist at Florida Medical Center in Ft. Lauderdale, he helped lead the hospital to achieve Level 5 chest pain certification, the highest designation of cardiac excellence.
He has spoken on national health care radio programs and has appeared on local news, highlighting the latest in cardiovascular care. Dr. Freedman prides himself on being an advocate for the patient. Every patient is unique, and he works carefully with leading local and national experts to make sure patients receive the best specialty procedural care possible for that particular case. Dr. Freedman has done research in cardiac MRI studies of the heart, in nuclear scanning, and has participated in the research trials of several leading cholesterol-lowering drugs. Dr. Freedman also has extensive experience in pulmonary hypertension and ran a large clinic in Broward County for these specific and often undiagnosed patients. Dr. Freedman speaks Spanish as well.
3208 Chiquita Blvd S., Suite 110
Cape Coral, FL 33914
(239) 574-8463
www.flccg.com
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace the advice of your doctor or health care provider. We encourage you to discuss with your doctor any questions or conce `rns you may have.
