Heart specialists advice people who have had stroke in the past to address the issues that caused stroke earlier. Proper medical treatment should be availed for diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, atrial fibrillation, and other medical causes that may have caused stroke. In addition, one must make certain lifestyle changes as well in order to lower down one’s risk of getting stroke.

Heart doctors Orlando at FHG share certain useful tips that can help one lower down one’s risk of getting stroke.

Keep your blood pressure low
High blood pressure puts tremendous pressure on the arterial walls, ultimately weakening them. Continued pressure on the walls of the arteries damages them in the long run and makes them vulnerable to clogging or burst. This often leads to stroke. By managing your blood pressure level, you can reduce your risk of stroke. By reducing your salt intake you can keep your blood pressure under control. You must take medicines to lower down your blood pressure if your doctor recommends the same.

Reduce your weight
If you are overweight, you must work to achieve optimum weight as obesity is one of the prime causes of stroke. Although there are several ways of reducing your weight, cardiology physicians recommend exercising, eating low fat, fiber-rich food, and lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. Fresh fruits and vegetables provide you with the essential vitamins and minerals without adding any harmful calories to your body. Eating lean meats, consuming skimmed dairy products, and cutting back on fried and junk food also help in dealing with obesity.

Health experts advice people to do aerobic exercises, go for walk, do cycling, and swimming to knock off extra pounds. Exercising is also good for keeping your heart healthy and is found to be effective in lowering risk of heart disease.

Make healthy food choices
Cardiology physicians ask people to make healthy food choices in order to lower down their risk of stroke and heart disease. There are many heart healthy foods that help lower cholesterol, keep diabetes in control, and refurbish the body with all the vitamins and minerals that are essential for keeping the heart, as well as other body organs in good condition.

Whole grain bread, rice, and pasta, fish, soya, beans, fruits such as apples, bananas, cantaloupes, pomegranates, and fresh vegetables, yoghurt, poultry, lean meats, and olive oil are to name but a few of the many things that are good for your heart and should be consumed every day if you want to reduce your risk of stroke, heart failure, and heart disease.

Give up smoking
Cigarette smoking is one of the biggest risk factors for stroke. Cardiology physicians point out that second hand smoking or passive smoking is as risky as active smoking. So, by quitting smoking you can not only lower down your own risk of stroke, but also of others around you.

Limit your alcohol intake
Excessive drinking also increases your risk of stroke. If you take more than two drinks every day, you are almost 70% at a higher risk of getting stroke than someone who doesn’t drink at all. You must avoid drinking on a daily basis. If you can not avoid drinking, take help from a rehab center or talk to your doctor as to how you can overcome your drinking habit.

For advice and consultation on stroke-causes, symptoms, treatments, and prevention call our heart experts at FHG.

Atrial Fibrillation is a heart disease. It is a type of arrhythmia, a condition of irregular heart rhythm. In normal circumstances, the heart beats in a steady rhythm. In Atrial Fibrillation, a problem occurs with the heart’s electrical system which makes the heart fibrillate or quiver. This quivering disturbs the normal rhythm of the heart as a result, the lower parts beat fast and with irregular rhythm.

Cardiology physicians in Florida explain how Atrial Fibrillation increases the risk of stroke. When the heart doesn’t beat strongly, it causes the blood to collect in the atria. This causes blood clots to form. When the heart pumps the clot in to the bloodstream, there are increased chances of the clot traveling down to the brain and obstructing the blood flow-resulting in the stroke. Heart specialists state that in some cases Atrial Fibrillation can also lead to heart failure.

Cardiology experts state that there are several reasons that may cause Atrial Fibrillation. High blood pressure, Heart attack, heart valve disease, and coronary heart disease are the major causes of atrial fibrillation. Lung disease, pneumonia, hyperthyroidism, alcohol abuse, drug abuse especially cocaine, and excessive intake of caffeine, nicotine, and certain prescription medicines like albuterol are some other risk factors that have been associated with Atrial Fibrillation.

Heart specialists advice people to know about the symptoms of Atrial Fibrillation. Knowing about them would help one to seek timely treatment and avoid serious complications.

Some of the common symptoms of atrial fibrillation are feeling dizzy, short of breath, unusual fatigue, a feeling that heart is fluttering, is racing, or is beating unevenly, pain in the chest, and fainting. If you experience any of these symptoms, you must immediately see your doctor. The doctor would carry certain tests to find out whether you have atrial fibrillation or not. He would most probably do an ECG-Electrocardiogram to diagnose the problems with the heart’s electrical system.

Since Atrial Fibrillation is a heart disease, cardiology physicians at FHG advice people to make certain lifestyle changes to improve the condition of their heart. By eating a heart healthy diet, doing regular exercise, keeping a check on your blood cholesterol and blood pressure, avoiding alcohol and nicotine, and quitting smoking you can successfully reduce your risk of getting atrial fibrillation and ultimately reduce your risk of stroke.

Cardiology physicians in Orlando state that if people are aware of the risk factors of heart disease and stroke, and they are told how to prevent them, they can probably avoid or reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke.

According to heart specialists all over the world, heart disease and stroke occur due to the narrowing of the blood vessels. This narrowing reduces and in some cases completely stops the blood to flow to heart, brain, and other vital body organs. As blood carries oxygen to cells in the body, when heart and brain do not get adequate amount of blood, the heart muscle cells and brain cells start dying. Over time, it leads to heart attack, heart failure, and strokes. In extreme cases, people get permanently disabled and even die due to heart disease and stroke.

Cardiology physicians Florida believe that the leading cause of heart disease and stroke is Atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis is a heart disease that occurs when cholesterol and other deposits build up on the inner walls of the blood vessels. Over time, this build-up narrows down the blood vessels, reducing the supply of blood and oxygen to organs in the body.

The other major risk factors for heart disease and stroke are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, physical inactivity, poor eating habits, overweight and obesity, cigarette smoking, and diabetes.

Heart doctors Orlando encourage people to stop smoking, drink alcohol in moderation, and exercise regularly, and keep their weight under control to reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke. Cardiology physicians say that heart disease may be genetic or may be inherited, but it is mostly the result of poor lifestyle. By bringing significant changes in one’s lifestyle, one can prevent heart disease and stroke to a great extent.

Certain lifestyle changes like exercising regularly, going for a walk, eating healthy foods, cutting down on salt and sugar, overcoming the urge of eating junk food, following healthy sleep pattern, doing yoga, meditation, and combating stress and anxiety are found to be highly effective in dealing with cardiovascular disease and stroke.

Besides all this, cardiology physicians emphasise on the role of regular medical check ups in preventing heart disease and stroke. They ask men as well as women to see cardiology physicians regularly. Those who have a family history of heart disease and stroke and those who have already had a stroke once should follow their doctor’s advice, take their medicines on time and follow a heart healthy lifestyle to avoid getting another stroke.

For detailed information on heart disease and stroke, you can consult our heart doctors at FHG.

Cardiology physicians in Florida share some valuable tips on taking care of someone with Atrial Fibrillation (AFib).

Tip1
Control diabetes and blood pressure
Heart doctors state that diabetes and high blood pressure increase a person’s risk of heart disease and stroke almost five times more if he has AFib. It is very important to keep diabetes and blood pressure in control. By eating food that is low in sodium and sugar and avoiding unhealthy fats, one can keep one’s blood pressure and diabetes in control and can avoid the complications related to Atrial Fibrillation.

Tip2
Quit Smoking
Cardiology physicians worldwide believe that smoking increases your risk of Atrial Fibrillation and stroke. There are so many ways that you may adopt to quit smoking. Nicotine patch and gum are quite useful in overcoming this dreadful habit. There are rehab centers and support groups that help one quit smoking and live a healthier life.

Tip 3
Limit alcohol intake
People with Atrial Fibrillation should drink alcohol in moderation. Heavy drinking can disturb the heart rhythms and can complicate things even more for someone with AFib. A glass of wine occasionally is fine, but one must consult one’s doctor as to how much alcohol is safe for him/her.

Tip 4
Be careful with stimulants and blood thinners
There are some heart doctors Orlando who are of the opinion that certain stimulants like decongestants with pseudoephedrine are not good for people with Atrial Fibrillation. They also believe that blood thinners that are usually prescribed to patients after being diagnosed with AFib can react with certain foods and medications. It is therefore better to consult an experienced and qualified heart doctor before taking any stimulant or blood thinner.

Tip 5
Stay active and eat heart healthy
Cardiology physicians strongly affirm the role of exercise and physical activity in reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke. You must ensure that your family member with AFib follows an active lifestyle. He/she must however do only those exercises that are recommended by their heart specialist as vigorous exercises can aggravate the condition for AFib patients.
Cutting down on sodium, sugar, trans fats, and adding leafy green vegetables and colored fruits, salmon, fish, and whole grains to diet helps reduce one’s risk of heart disease and stroke.

To know more on how you can help someone with Atrial Fibrillation live healthy and reduce his risk of heart attack and stroke, you can consult our cardiology physicians at FHG.

According to the most recent statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, heart disease claims the lives of 597,689 people each year, while stroke causes 129,476 deaths. These unfortunate statistics, combined with the fact May is National Stroke Month, have caused Florida Heart Group to take action in helping people people understand how they can prevent both of these conditions from affecting them or someone they love.

“Even though around 730,000 people die annually from both of these conditions, in most cases, death is preventable. Both uncontrollable and controllable factors play a role. In the case of uncontrollable factors, we recommend people stop in at Florida Heart Group for a preventative screening. For situations where people have control over heart disease and stroke, we recommend lifestyle changes. They’re not easy to make, but in addition to saving your life, these changes also improve the quality of your life,” said the Florida cardiology practice’s CEO, Andrew Laverghetta.

Controllable Factors

In most cases, heart disease victims aren’t helpless over their condition. Following are some of the controllable changes they can make in their lives to reduce the likelihood they experience heart disease or a stroke:

• 1.Quitting smoking
• 2.Improving cholesterol levels through a combination of regular exercise, eating a diet rich in fish, vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lowering fat consumption, and using a prescribed medication
• 3.Reducing hypertension
• 4.Exercising three times per week for at least 20 minutes each time
• 5.Minimizing stress and anger levels
• 6.Managing diabetes

Uncontrollable Factors

However, while many factors are controllable and can be affected by lifestyle changes, some are not controllable. Those factors include:

• 1.Male sex
• 2.Being of older age
• 3.History of family heart disease
• 4.Post-menopausal
• 5.Race – African Americans, American Indians, and Mexican Americans are more likely to experience heart disease than Caucasians

Heart attack warning signs include:

• 1.Chest discomfort
• 2.Discomfort throughout other areas of the upper body
• 3.Shortness of breath
• 4.Breaking out in a cold sweat
• 5.Nausea
• 6.Lightheadedness

Warning signs of stroke include:

• 1.Face drooping
• 2.Weakness or numbness in the arms
• 3.Difficulty with speech/slurring
• 4.Confusion and trouble understanding
• 5.Sudden difficulty seeing with one or both eyes
• 6.Dizziness and loss of balance or coordination
• 7.Severe headache with no known cause

Individuals experiencing any of these signs should call 911 immediately, as they may be about to experience a heart attack or stroke. Florida Heart Group recommends all individuals concerned with the health of their heart or their physical health in general to visit for a preventative screening. The Florida vascular clinic has three locations open Monday through Friday, from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Appointments can be scheduled by visiting the following URL: http://www.fhg.org/locations.asp

Florida cardiologists say that people who have depression feel low, sad, and hopeless. They lose interest in their general health and as a result do not take their medicines on time. Such people are less likely to exercise and follow a healthy lifestyle which increases their risk of heart attack. Heart doctors in Orlando believe that people who have depression are more likely to smoke and take alcohol which further increases their risk of heart disease.

Cardiology physicians advise people who have depression as well as heart disease to seek treatment. Depression is a serious medical problem that requires proper treatment. If left untreated, depression can get worse and so can heart disease. The sooner one gets treatment for depression, the better it would be for your health.

Although there are proper medical treatments for depression, you would also need to make some efforts on your own. You would need to stay healthy and take very good care of yourself. Cardiology physicians in Florida advise people with heart disease and depression to exercise regularly and to eat healthy.

When you exercise, your body releases endorphins. Endorphins make you feel positive and happy. They also reduce your perception of pain. There are many other health benefits of regular exercise. It helps reduce stress and anxiety, boosts self esteem, increases energy level, improves sleep, strengthens your muscle strength and tone and reduced body fat and makes you fit and healthy. For people with heart disease, it is really important to follow a healthy exercise regime.

Eating healthy is another way to deal with depression and heart disease. Heart doctors Orlando advice people to make healthy food choices. Fresh fruits, vegetables, fiber rich food, whole grain wheat, pasta, and rice, low fat dairy products, fish, and unsaturated fats are good for your heart and overall health.

Support of friends and family is equally important in dealing with depression. Cardiology physicians recommend people with heart disease and depression to socialize with friends, meet family members and talk to them for getting out of depression. With the love and care and support of friends and family, it becomes easier to come out of depression and get started on a healthy life.

To know more on how you can come out of depression and reduce your risk of heart attack, consult our cardiology physicians at FHG.

Florida Heart Group, however, is taking a pro-active approach to addressing the problem by offering tips to parents of teens so they can help their children live long, healthy, and happy, lives. Following are a few tips the Florida cardiology clinic offers:

Parents should live healthy lives of their own. Teens never fail to imitate the primary authority figures in their lives. The best place to start helping teens thinking about living and eating healthy is for parents to provide a good example of their own.
Keep things positive and realistic. Children and teens respond much better to the celebration of their successes. Additionally, taking small steps towards healthy eating over a long period of time works best for building new habits. Avoid punishing behavior and dramatic changes, as teens don’t respond as well to these techniques.
Encourage physical activity they enjoy. It’s easiest for teens to stay motivated if they enjoy what they are doing. Help them discover what form of exercise works best for them.
Tie rewards to good behavior. Don’t reward good behavior with television, video games, or junk food. Celebrate good behavior by allowing more time with friends, for example.
Stay involved. Monitor their cardiovascular indicators such as their BMI, blood pressure, and cholesterol. Give them rewards when they meet more healthy goals.

By using these strategies, parents can help teens avoid symptoms of heart attack and the damage they cause. Parents interested in checking the vascular health of their teens and beginning their journey toward a healthy lifestyle should visit Florida Heart Group for a preventative screening Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. and can schedule an appointment by calling 407-894-4472.

Trans-fats: Studies have revealed that trans fats are very harmful for the heart. They increase the LDL or bad cholesterol level in the body and at the same time reduces the good-HDL cholesterol. Margarines, bakery items, and packaged snacks contain very high percentage of trans fats and should be avoided as much as possible. Beef, pork, lamb, full-fat dairy products, cheese and butter also contain trans fats and should be replaced with healthier options. The American Heart Association advices people to take trans fats no more than 1 percent of the total calories that they take in a day

Saturated fats: Saturated fats too increase “bad” LDL cholesterol which leads to plaque build-up in the arteries. Cardiology physicians recommend people to limit their intake of butter, cheese, and high fat meats and opt for olive oil, canola oil, and lean meat and fish instead as they contain monounsaturated fats that are good for heart.

Salt: Salt is another big culprit that increases your risk of heart disease. It elevates your blood pressure and puts you at a higher risk of getting heart attack and stroke. Heart doctors advice people to choose foods that have low sodium content and better still, to eat fresh foods than eating processed foods. Processed foods have very high content of sodium and are not at all good for your heart.

Sugar: Cardiology physicians link high intake of sugar with high cholesterol level and increased risk of heart disease. They strongly recommend people to reduce their consumption of added sugar to reduce their risk of cardiovascular disease. Added sugar doesn’t have any nutritional value. It only adds extra calories to your body. If you wish to keep your heart healthy, avoid eating sweets, cakes, pastries and chocolates. You may rather use honey to make your drink sweet and healthy.

French fries, pizza, burgers, doughnuts, chocolate puddings and cakes, bacon, pasta, and granola bars are some other foods that are not at all good for your heart. Though cardiology physicians advice people to avoid these foods, you must try to have them occasionally and that too in smaller quantity. Should you eat pasta, opt for whole grain or wheat pasta and add low fat cheese to it to add some nutritional value to it. Grilled potatoes and fish make healthier options for snacks compared to fried fish and fries. 

To know in detail about the foods that you must avoid and those that you must take to improve your heart health, consult our cardiology experts at FHG.

There are two types of cholesterol- LDL-Low Density Lipoprotein and HDL-High Density Lipoprotein. LDL is the "bad" cholesterol and HDL is the ‘good’ cholesterol. LDLs have lesser amount of protein and very high levels of cholesterol. It is the main cause of plaque build up inside the arteries. HDL on the contrary has a lot of protein and very less amount of cholesterol. HDL works to remove cholesterol from the blood and is therefore good for your heart.

If you wish to reduce your risk of getting heart disease, you must keep your cholesterol levels in control. Heart doctors recommend that one’s LDL cholesterol level should be less than 100 and HDL level should be more than 60. Total cholesterol level should be less than 200. Since there are no physical symptoms that may indicate high or low cholesterol levels, one must get the blood test called Lipoprotein performed once a year to know one’s blood cholesterol level.

Heart doctors Orlando at FHG share 5 useful tips on managing high cholesterol level.

1. 1.Avoid butter, cheese, ice cream, meat, pork, beef, and full fat dairy products as they are known to raise the bad cholesterol

2. 2.Consume foods such as fatty fish, oatmeal, walnuts, bran, whole grain foods, and foods fortifies with plant sterols to lower down your cholesterol level

3. 3.Get enough of physical activity. Do aerobic exercises, go for walk, or do yoga. The more active lifestyle you adopt, the better you can manage your cholesterol level. Physical exertion and regular exercising helps reduce LDL cholesterol and boosts HDL cholesterol. It also cuts down extra calories and keeps your body weight under control.

4. 4.Being overweight is not all good for your heart and body. It can make your LDL level go up and HDL level come down.

5. 5.If you are overweight, avoid fatty foods like burgers, pizzas, potato chips, and soda pops. You must include a lot of vegetables and fruits in your diet. They would keep you full without adding any harmful calories to your body.

Consult your doctor if you can’t manage your cholesterol level on your own. He may prescribe you certain medicines to help you manage your cholesterol level.

To learn more about how you can manage your cholesterol level and can reduce your risk of heart disease, you may consult our cardiology physicians at FHG.   

Fats are a rich source of energy. They carry vitamin A, D, E, and K and provide essential polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fats help in the absorption of minerals and facilitate our overall growth and development. Besides these health benefits, fats add flavour and a sense of fullness to our meals.

However, heat doctors recommend people to know the difference between good and bat fats and make a healthy choice.

Studies show that good fats include monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and Omega 3 polyunsaturated fats. Mono unsaturated fat helps lower down LDL or bad cholesterol. Polyunsaturated fat helps in lowering blood cholesterol level and in maintaining heart health. Omega 3 polyunsaturated fats besides having heart health benefit are good for brain too.

On the other hand, saturated fats and trans fats are categorized as bad fats. Saturated fats found mostly in butter, whole milk, cheese, lard and animal fats raise blood cholesterol level, increase the risk of heart disease and contribute to other health problems too. Heart physicians and nutritionists advice people to avoid them as much as possible.

Trans fats also raise LDL/bad cholesterol levels and are found primarily in meat, dairy products, margarine, and hydrogenated foods.

To ensure that you eat a heart healthy diet, you must include good fats in your diet.

Cardiology physicians in Florida advice people to take Olive oil as it has numerous heart health benefits.

Olive oil is high in mono unsaturated fats. It contains zero trans fats and very small amount of saturated fats. Heart health experts believe that these excellent properties make Olive oil a wonderful choice for your heart and overall health and well being.

Scientists have revealed that olive oil provides the greatest protection from heart attack and stroke. The presence of anti oxidants, especially DHPEA-EDA protects red blood cells from damage. Red blood cells are the body’s oxygen carriers. The prime cause of stroke and heart disease is the reactive oxygen acting on LDL bad cholesterol-resulting in hardening of the arteries. Further, olive oil helps in lowering down blood cholesterol that is a major factor contributing to heart disease.

Studies have revealed that people who take two table spoons of extra virgin oil every day enjoy better heart health, in addition to enjoying other health benefits of olive oil. Olive oil is beneficial in fighting against several disease, such as blood pressure, diabetes type II, obesity, arthritis, and osteoporosis, and breat and skin cancer.

You can talk to heart doctors at FHG to know more about good fats and heart benefits of olive oil.