Heart Health Tips From The Team At Capital Chemist Bowral
Roxette said / sang it best when they encouraged everyone to ‘Listen to your heart when it’s calling for you’.
While they might have been referring to the emotional function of our hearts, it’s also a good message for its other important function….. you know, pumping blood and oxygen around the body…… and well, keeping us alive pretty much!
Now, it’s a sad fact of living in the western world with easy and convenient access to alllll of the food and bevvies [many of those convenient options being of the unhealthy and overly processed kind] that has contributed to over 4 million Australians being affected by cardiovascular disease and is one of our country’s largest health problems.
So because we don’t want you to break your heart, your achy breaky heart [okay, we’ll stop with the eighties song references now!], we caught up with Dickson and Catherine from Capital Chemist Bowral and got some fab tips on how to get proactive about our heart health.
Oh, and a hot tip – you’re NEVER too young to start looking after your heart health, peeps! This is not an older person’s prob anymore.
1 // Schedule a heart health check
It’s simple. Give yourself the best chance of managing your risk by knowing your risk.
“Capital Chemist can do a heart health screening and risk assessment,” Dickson says.
“Then we can help manage any risk factors, if there are any.”
2 // Check and manage your blood pressure
“High blood pressure increases the risk of cardiovascular disease, so it’s important to have that checked regularly and managed by your GP, and you can come into Capital Chemist for regular blood pressure checks,” says Catherine.
“We charge $3 each or $10 for 10 checks but for the month of June, we’re happy to do it for free for readers of The Fold.”
[More info about this fab deal here].
“We also sell five different models of blood pressure monitors that include both arm and wrist monitors if you need to monitor your blood pressure at home.”
3 // Take a long, hard look at your diet and lifestyle
This is where we all whistle and pretend to be interested in a fly on the wall because we KNOW what we’re meant to be doing, but many of us barrel through life ignoring diet and lifestyle advice until it’s too late.
“A low fat and low sodium diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables is a good first step to take,” Dickson suggests.
“Pull back on alcohol consumption – individuals who consume more than 3 or more alcoholic drinks a day experience hypertension three times higher than non-drinkers – and if you smoke, quit as soon as you can.”
“We can help you with up-to-date information on nicotine replacement therapy and help design a treatment regime for you to help you quit smoking successfully.”
4 // Improve your physical and mental health
“Just 30 minutes of exercise five times a week will improve your heart health, and it doesn’t have to be vigorous,” Catherine points out.
“A brisk walk every day, a gentle bike ride to the shops, doing some laps at the local pool… it all adds up.”
“Emotional stress is also known to increase blood pressure, so managing your stress and introducing tools such as meditation, yoga, gentle stretching and tai chi will help with that,” Dickson adds.
5 // Shift those extra pesky kilos you’ve been meaning to get to
“Weight management can be the difference between normal blood pressure and hypertension, so maintaining a healthy weight can help minimise the risk of cardiovascular disease,” Catherine says.
“If you’re not sure where to start, come and see us in the pharmacy. Our understanding of your health history, our experience and the products we have here in the store provide a great foundation for supporting you to get to that healthy weight.”
“Something like the CSIRO developed Impromy scientifically formulated meal replacement diet could be the kickstart you need to finally get to your goal weight.”
6 // Be aware of the warning signs of a heart attack
“If you experience any of these warning signs, call 000 immediately. Don’t delay with what could potentially be a heart attack,” Dickson says.
- Dizziness, light-headedness or feeling faint
- Nausea, indigestion or vomiting•Shortness of breath
- Sweating or a cold sweat
- Chest, jaw or arm pain.
7 // Know the difference between a heart attack and a cardiac arrest
“People often use these terms interchangeably, but they’re not the same,” Catherine points out.
“A person experiencing a heart attack will usually be alert, breathing, and complaining of chest pain or the symptoms we mentioned above.”
“If someone is having a cardiac arrest, they will not be conscious or breathing normally. They need immediate help by calling 000, starting chest compressions and using a defibrillator (AED).”
“A cardiac arrest can happen to any of us,” says Dickson.
“Most cardiac arrests that occur out of hospital occur in people’s homes, but a cardiac arrest can happen anywhere, at any time. Each year in Australia, about 25,000 people have a cardiac arrest out of hospital, but it’s estimated that as few as 5% of these people survive to leave hospital and go home.”
“Many people don’t know that using a defibrillator machine is the only way to save a person who is in cardiac arrest,” adds Catherine.
“It’s a good idea to do a first aid course (so you know how to identify cardiac arrest and practice how to use a defib machine in the event you ever have to use one!) and to know where the closest one is located to your workplace/home so that you can access one quickly if you need to.”
Oh, and heads up, there’s a defib machine at Capital Chemist Bowral – cross fingers you don’t need it, but good to know it’s there!
Okay team, awesome advice there from Catherine and Dickson. The key to anything health related is getting on the front foot by having regular check-ups with your GP or pharmacist, knowing your medical history, adjusting any lifestyle risk factors and letting your medical support team know if there are any changes to your health and wellbeing.
For more information on managing your cardiac health and specific products you can use to do just that, pop in and see the Capital Chemist Bowral team on Bong Bong Street. They’ve got the know-how, really care about their customers and have an awesome holistic approach to health too.
We heart Capital Chemist.
Capital Chemist Bowral is dedicated to improving each person’s health and wellbeing by providing quality pharmaceutical and health services to the Southern Highlands community. Open 7 days a week. Find out more here, or pop in to say hello to the friendly team on Bong Bong Street.
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