Stay Heart Healthy: How to Prevent a Heart Attack

SAN ANTONIO – February is National Heart Month, and the Greater San Antonio Emergency Physicians shared some helpful information about how to prevent a heart attack and what to do if you think you’re having one.

The statistics about cardiovascular disease are pretty shocking: It’s the No. 1 cause of death in the world, and someone experiences a heart attack every 34 seconds. 

Cardiovascular disease occurs when your blood vessels become clogged as you age or if you have an unhealthy diet. A heart attack can happen as a result of those clogged vessels preventing blood from flowing to the heart.

There are a few relatively simple ways to keep your blood vessels clear and therefore prevent heart attacks.

Eating healthy, exercising, and not smoking are some of the best ways to stay healthy and avoid cardiovascular disease.

“Thirty minutes of exercise a day, three times a week, has been known to not only prevent but reverse cardiovascular disease,” Dr. Sam Mehta, with Greater San Antonio Emergency Physicians, said.

Seeing a doctor regularly is also essential because signs that you may be suffering from a heart attack are not always obvious.

Some warning signs include sudden shortness of breath, dizziness, and fatigue.

“If you have any of those symptoms, you need to go see a doctor,” Mehta advised. “If you’re going around doing your daily activities and you get very short of breath or more tired more than you usually do, that may be a sign of a heart attack.”

For more information about cardiovascular disease or about the Greater San Antonio Emergency Physicians, visit GSEP-PA.com or call 210-575-4444.