What is Heart Disease? Nine Ways to Stop It from Killing You

Many doctors gave him many antibiotics for these infections. Shortly thereafter, he developed severe chest pains and went to the emergency room. While he was there, doctors found swollen lymph nodes and told him he had lymphoma, a form of cancer. For three weeks he lived in despair until the biopsy results came back. He had many abnormal blood test results — like low white blood cell and platelet counts, high levels of auto-antibodies of all types antibodies that attack our own tissues , high immunoglobulins the foot soldiers of the immune system , and autoimmune thyroid disease.

But doctors had a hard time putting their finger on what was wrong. Meanwhile, Sam developed metabolic syndrome and weight gain pre-diabetes as a result of the runaway inflammation in his body. Regardless, he merely needs observation and no therapeutic intervention at this time. This unfortunately is all too common. What exactly did they plan to observe, how bad he felt? Or would they just wait for him to get worse before intervening? Using a functional medicine approach, a new way of thinking about the underlying causes and imbalances in chronic disease, I began by asking Sam some simple questions.

Then I went hunting for toxins, allergens, and infections — all common causes of inflammation — and found the real causes of his symptoms. He had taken so many antibiotics that altered his gut flora or bacteria and promoted yeast overgrowth. Fungus and yeast flourished in his body, growing between his toes, on his toenails, in his crotch, and scalp.

How to Stop Attacking Yourself: 9 Steps to Heal Autoimmune Disease - Dr. Mark Hyman

He had Helicobacter pylori bacteria in his gut. He had a leaky gut and reacted to many foods, including dairy and gluten. He was exposed to toxins at his job and had high levels of mercury. And he had chronic sinus infections. So we went to work cleaning house. I treated his yeast with anti-fungals and the H. Then I helped heal his immune system by supporting it with nutrients.

I gave him zinc , fish oil , vitamin D , herbs, and probiotics , and put him on a clean, whole-foods, allergen-free, anti-inflammatory diet. At his next follow-up visit, I asked Sam how he was doing, expecting him to say that he felt a little better.

However, his response surprised even me. He said he felt fine.

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Part of the confusion about the risks and benefits of fats stems from the fact that saturated fats, like those from animals, may in fact be neutral for some people, Sass explains. If you do eat meat, keep your portions small, go easy on sugar, processed carbs and butter, and help yourself to plenty of vegetables and fruits. Also keep in mind that the quality of the animal fat matters, Sass says. Another study found that spending just three months on a sugar-heavy diet changed fat metabolism in healthy men, causing them to develop non-alcoholic fatty-liver disease, which boosts the risk of cardiovascular disease.

While the American Heart Association AHA recommends that women have no more than six teaspoons worth of added sugar daily and men stick to nine, the average intake for all Americans is now the equivalent of 22 teaspoons per day, Sass says. What is added sugar, anyway? It refers to sugar that is not found naturally in food.

Honey in your tea is added sugar. The sugar in a banana is not. Do you smoke even a little?

If so, know this: Lighting up increases your risk of atherosclerosis, raises your chances of blood clots, reduces blood flow and puts you at increased risk for stroke. Heavy drinking does the body no favors. It can lead to weakened heart muscle and irregular heart rhythms, as well as dementia, cancer and stroke. But could drinking just a little be heart healthy?

The science is unsettled. While some research suggests that moderate drinking up to a drink a day for women and up to two for men is linked with lower rates of cardiovascular disease, the research does not prove cause and effect, Gianos cautions. For example, it could be that people who drink regularly take time to relax with loved ones, and that may be what is providing the heart benefit.

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One study published in the journal Circulation found that physical activity can even counteract a genetic risk for heart disease. The researchers looked at , men and women in the U. This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: What are you interested in? Receive health tips and advice selected just for you! Customized health information straight to your inbox. It could be the most important 60 seconds of your life, so now is the time to prepare yourself.

Women's unique risk factors

Be Prepared for a Heart Attack What does a heart attack feel like? Do this before doing anything else. Chew one uncoated milligram aspirin not a baby aspirin. It may not stop the heart attack, but it could lessen the damage by thinning the blood and breaking up clots. Take nitroglycerin for chest pain if you have a prescription.

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Unlock the door so the paramedics can get in. Call a friend or neighbor to wait with you. Let the operator, the paramedics, the doctors, the nurses, and anyone else you speak to know that you think you are having a heart attack. Wait to call Drive yourself to the hospital. Leave the driving to the emergency crew.