How on Earth didn’t I notice a silent heart attack?
The short answer, which ironically Gareth-esque is my body just compensated and got on with it, until it couldn’t.
The longer answer is that in between whenever my silent heart attack took place and when I went to Emergency, I later learned that some of the symptoms I’d experienced could have been my body’s way of warning me this had happened. What is scary is they’re symptoms many of us would have just written off for other reasons, including indigestion, tiredness, headaches, a stiff neck, flushing when warm, and cold hands or feet.
As I learned, silent heart attacks are just one of the many things that go on inside our bodies of which we are often completely unaware. I’ll come back to this point in a moment.
Now, on the note of symptoms this brings me to two adjacent topics – genetics and testing. As I mentioned before, part of what contributed to my heart issues come from multiple family lines with a history of heart disease. Throughout my life, with this known, all my physicians knew from our first appointment that heart disease runs in my family. Knowing this, they always kept a close eye on my blood work, blood pressure, cholesterol, and heart at my annual check-up. Though, it’s also important to keep in mind that this is only a snapshot of a moment in time.
The test that I was sent for on the day I went to Emergency though is not part of the regular blood panel. Neither are electrocardiogram or echocardiogram tests part of a regular checkup. None of those are things I would have thought to ask for, nor were they tests that, while I was asymptomatic, I would have been sent for.
This brings me to an important point.
If you know you have a particular disease in your family genetics, find out if there are any tests specific to that disease that aren’t included in your regular blood work and checkup, and ask for them. If you don’t know your family medical history, or want to know more, explore genetic testing. Consider both as important steps in being proactive. These extra tests may, depending on where you live also come with a cost, so it’s a good idea to check what tests are covered and which are not.
In the weeks and months that followed my hospital stay, part of my recovery involved deep reflection about what prioritizing myself and my wellness truly looked like. Part of the answer involved learning what is outside my control (as mentioned, any of the plethora of things going on in our bodies at any given moment) and in my control – what I eat, how I move, my approach to managing stress, and the fuel to my heart in the form of love, joy and community.
With these in mind, and recognizing that each could expand off into a series of books, for today’s post, I want to share the “Top 5” Tips to a healthier heart that have been key for me:
- Spend less time sitting. Sitting can have devastating cumulative effects on your health. Stand, take walks (even mini ones) and if possible, use a desk with a standing option.
- For an eye-opening experience, take note of the amount of sodium in the everyday things you buy. Reduce the amount of sodium in your diet, and look for alternatives for taste, such as herbs, or products like Mrs. Dash.
- Add more fruits and veggies into your diet and take time to read about what superfoods are, and their wider benefits to your health.
- Exercise. For most of us, the recommended amount of exercise is 150 minutes a week. The key here is to find exercise that works for you, fits into your life, and with activities that you actually like.
- If you already do any of these, keep going. If you’ve been thinking about adding more of these into your routine, start small. Be kind to yourself, give yourself the permission to explore, and take the time you deserve to find out what works for you.
And lastly, as I bring today’s post to its close, I invite you to consider this question:
“Through the lens of what wellness means to you, what does it look like to prioritize yourself, and what elements would that involve?”