Text: Dr. Xu

Edited by Chi You

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While enjoying dinner, 67-year-old Aunt Li suddenly felt a sharp pain in her chest and could not breathe.

The retired teacher, who had always been physically strong in the past, did not expect that he would also suffer a heart attack.

But before we dive into the story, let's go back a few months and see how Aunt Lee got to this point.

It all started with Aunt Li's knees.

Lately, her knees have been sore and hurt every time the weather changes, and running, jogging, and even taking the stairs have become difficult in her life.

On the recommendation of a friend, Aunt Li went to a well-known local Chinese medicine hall for help.

Through massage and herbal treatment, the TCM practitioner has significantly relieved her knee pain.

This experience made Aunt Li deeply aware of the importance of daily health care and health, and began to be keen to collect and learn all kinds of health knowledge.

Pay attention to 2 symptoms, or "footsteps" of myocardial infarction

One of the materials she browses on a daily basis mentions the "sound of footsteps" of heart disease, specifically mentioning two symptoms that are easily overlooked: recurrent chest tightness and brief breathlessness.

The article states that these two symptoms may be a sign of an impending heart attack.

Aunt Li was impressed by this, but she did not expect that she would also be one of the patients described in this article.

Aunt Li's case is not unique.

After her sudden crisis, her attending physician, an experienced cardiologist, told her several similar cases, emphasizing the importance of identifying these "footsteps" at an early stage.

The doctor mentioned that although the high-risk group for heart disease usually includes patients with a history of high blood pressure, diabetes, etc., in reality, small symptoms in daily life, such as chest tightness and difficulty breathing, cannot be ignored.

The importance of psychological stress management

Now, let's talk about that unique point that I'm going to make.

In the eyes of many people, this point of view may not have anything to do with heart disease, but in fact, its role in preventing heart disease should not be underestimated - that is, "psychological stress management".

Yes, you heard it right, I'm going to talk about the relationship between stress and heart health.

In this era of information explosion, people are facing a variety of stresses, and work, family, relationships, and even the social environment can become stressors.

Studies have shown that long-term psychological stress not only affects a person's mental health, but also directly or indirectly affects heart health.

Being in a state of high pressure for long periods of time can lead to higher blood pressure and higher heart rate, which can increase the risk of heart disease over time.

Through extensive case analysis, the researchers found that those who were able to manage their stress effectively had significantly lower rates of heart disease than those who were constantly under high pressure.

Among the mechanisms involved is that effective stress management can reduce the body's physiological response to stress, thereby reducing the burden on the heart.

But how do you manage stress well in your daily life?

Here are a few tips:

First, arrange work and rest reasonably to avoid overwork for a long time, secondly, cultivate hobbies and release stress through activities such as music, reading, sports, etc., and finally, maintain a positive and optimistic attitude and seek solutions to problems instead of avoiding them.

Returning to Aunt Li's story, although her heart attack was sudden, after experiencing this incident, she became deeply aware of the importance of stress management.

She began to try to reduce her workload, make more time for walking, yoga, and learn to face life's small difficulties with a more positive attitude.

Okay, now let's ask that seemingly unrelated question:

Why is it said that laughing regularly reduces the risk of heart disease?

This question may seem unrelated to the topic we are discussing, but in fact, it is closely related to stress management.

Laughter is a great way to release stress, it can make people feel relaxed immediately and reduce tension in the body.

Studies have shown that people who laugh a lot have more stable blood pressure and a more normal heart rate, which reduces the risk of heart disease.

That is to say, by simply laughing, we can not only be mentally pleasurable, but also physiologically "decompress" our heart, thus keeping it healthy.

What do you have to say about this? Feel free to leave your thoughts in the comment section!