The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) and The Heart Truth would like to remind everyone that February is American Heart Month. Heart disease is a leading cause of death in the United States and February is the month set aside for all Americans to pay attention to their heart and vascular system, and find ways to protect and strengthen them.
This year the focus is on high blood pressure and how it affects your heart. Nearly half of Americans are suffering from high blood pressure. However, only about a quarter of them take steps to get it under control. The NHLBI and The Heart Truth want all Americans to know there are steps you can take to lower your blood pressure and keep your heart healthy.
The Center for Disease Control (CDC) will also be running a campaign during heart month to educate the American public about the dangers of high blood pressure and how to treat it. They will be sending out ads on social media with the headline, “Feeling the Pressure, CDC can Help".
Prevention of Heart Disease
The overarching message of Heart Month is that most heart disease is preventable. There are simple things that almost every person can do to improve their heart’s health, lower their blood pressure, and increase their overall wellness. These include:
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables
- Avoiding fats and salt
- Getting plenty of exercise
- Taking steps to reduce the emotional stresses in your life
- Quitting smoking
Early Detection and Treatment of Heart Disease
Like so many health-related issues, early detection is the best course to avoiding major problems from high blood pressure or heart disease. The first step is a visit to your regular doctor. At this visit they can check your blood pressure, listen to your heart and order blood tests.
If your blood pressure is found to be high, your doctor will discuss lifestyle changes and possibly medications such as lisinopril or amlodipine to help get it back to normal levels. Left untreated, high blood pressure can damage all of your organs, including your heart, and raises your risk of having a stroke.
If there are any problems found with your heart your next step would be to see a cardiologist. There they will run more tests to find out exactly what the issue is with your heart. Once they have determined that, they will outline your options to rectify the problem and prevent further damage.
Finding Affordable Medications
Regardless of whether you have high blood pressure, heart disease or both, you will likely have prescriptions that have to be filled. Don’t let high-cost medications add to your stress level, rxless can help. RxLess works with major pharmacies like CVS, Rite Aid, and Walgreens, to find you the best discount price on all of your prescriptions.
