Lab your heart!

What goes on inside your body, particularly with your heart? Maybe you feel good, despite your unhealthy lifestyle. But that does not mean your heart is fine.

Cardiologist Dr. Lorenza Torres, who holds her clinic at the Del Monte branch of Hi-Precision Diagnostics, said some of the symptoms to watch out for include the classic chest pain accompanied by tightness or pressure that may spread to arms, neck, jaw, or back.

“There is also the feeling of indigestion or heartburn, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, and fatigue. But not all have the same symptoms; others may just have mild pain while others none. Some may present as sudden heart arrest. So, the earliest (symptom) is a chest pain usually triggered by an activity and disappears with rest,” she added.

Those prone to heart disease have risk factors that can be controlled (obesity, high salt intake, lack of exercise, smoking, high bad cholesterol, low good cholesterol, uncontrolled diabetes, and hypertension); or those that they cannot control (family history of heart disease, increased age, gender — males are known to be at greater risk — and being postmenopausal).

But no matter the type of risk factors, Dr. Torres said they should act and seek medical help immediately “because some people wait for a long time before they recognize it.”

The best way to confirm what ails your heart is to have yourself checked right away.

Hi-Precision Diagnostics offers affordable tests like ECG, Holter monitoring, 2D Echocardiography, treadmill stress test, cardiac catheterization and cardiac MRI that can accurately determine the condition of your heart.

The ISO-certified medical diagnostic facility and Trusted Brands awardee continues to be a pioneer in the industry by acquiring technological ly advanced machines and software to uphold the quality of its tests to be at par with international standards. And with its patients’ convenience in mind, test results can be accessed online.

Should test findings indicate heart problems, medications like aspirin, nitroglycerine, beta-blockers and cholesterol-lowering agents can be prescribed. But if these medicines are not enough, the patient mayneed to undergo a special procedure or surgery, depending on the extent of heart damage.

Ultimately, the secret to keeping your heart healthy involves lifestyle choices.

“Stop smoking if you smoke. Manage your blood pressure, meaning achieve an optimal BP of less than 120/80mmHg. Check your cholesterol; if you have risk factors for heart disease, aim for LDL<100mg/ dl. Control your blood sugar level to help you lower the risk. Exercise to maintain a healthy weight. Stop eating unhealthy food; aim for fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Eat food low in saturated fat, salt, and sugar. Keep your weight at its ideal. Manage your stress through relaxation and deep breathing. Get enough sleep,” added Dr. Torres.

For information about Hi-Precision Diagnostics, call its Customer Care hotline at 741-7777 or visit www.hi-precision.com.ph.