Don’t Miss a Beat: The Heart Risk You Don’t Always Feel
Your heart is one of the hardest-working parts of your body, beating away quietly while you get on with your day. Most of the time, we don’t give it much thought until something feels wrong.
But what if a heart-health risk could be affecting you without making you feel different at all? That’s one of the challenges with high blood pressure. It can develop without obvious symptoms, which means many people may not know they have it. In South Africa, more than 1 in 3 adults live with high blood pressure, making it something worth paying attention to, even when you feel perfectly well.
This World Heart Day, the message is “Don’t Miss a Beat”, encouraging us to notice the signs we might otherwise overlook and take steps to protect our heart health.
You May Not Feel It
We often depend on how we feel to tell us when something isn’t right. But high blood pressure can be different. You can feel healthy, carry on with your normal routine and still have blood pressure that is consistently higher than it should be. That’s why hypertension is often described as a silent condition. Rather than waiting until you feel unwell, having your blood pressure checked gives you information that your body may not give you itself. Sometimes, the warning is simply a number on a monitor.
Know Your Numbers
A blood-pressure reading gives you two numbers, and together they tell us about the pressure of blood moving through your blood vessels. The top number measures the pressure when your heart contracts and pumps blood, while the bottom number measures the pressure when your heart relaxes between beats.
Your blood pressure can naturally change throughout the day, so a single reading doesn’t necessarily tell the whole story. Regular checks and follow-ups with a healthcare professional can help you understand what your numbers mean and whether further action is needed.
Give Your Heart Extra Care
Looking after your heart doesn’t have to mean changing your entire lifestyle overnight. A few everyday choices can form part of a heart-healthy routine:
- Move more: Find simple ways to be active throughout your day, whether that’s walking, exercising or spending less time sitting.
- Watch the salt: Being mindful of how much salt you add to meals and how often you eat foods high in sodium can help support healthy blood pressure.
- Manage stress: Busy days and ongoing stress can take a toll on your overall health. Make time to slow down, get enough rest and find healthy ways to manage the pressures of everyday life.
- Don’t smoke: Smoking increases your risk of cardiovascular disease, so quitting can make an important difference to your long-term heart health.
- Take your medication: If you’ve been prescribed medication for high blood pressure, take it as directed and speak to your healthcare professional before making any changes.
Start With a Check-In
Your heart doesn’t take a day off. It keeps working while you’re sleeping, working, travelling, laughing and living your life. So this World Heart Day, why not give it a little attention in return? Knowing your blood pressure, understanding your heart-health risks and speaking to a healthcare professional when you have concerns can all form part of looking after your heart.
Your Ringpharm pharmacist can also be part of that conversation, with some pharmacies offering health-check services to help you keep an eye on important health measurements. Don’t wait for your heart to get your attention. Check in, know your numbers and give your heart that little bit extra.
This blog post is intended for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. For personalised health guidance, consult with your healthcare provider or visit your local Ringpharm pharmacy.