Heart Clinic Singapore: At what Age should you Visit a Heart Clinic to have your Heart Checked?

The American Heart Association recommends that everyone have a heart checkup by age 20. Find more information about a heart clinic in Singapore that can help you with heart check ups such as treadmill ECG, Cardiac CT scan or Echocardiography on this page: https://sunriseheart.com.sg/. You might need to have your heart checked earlier than the AHA’s recommendation if: 

• You’ve had a previous heart attack or stroke: Complications like heart failure or an irregular heartbeat that result from these events can be detected earlier in someone whose previous problems have already been diagnosed. 
• Your mother, father, sibling, cousin, aunt, or uncle had heart disease at age 50 or younger: Heart problems tend to run in families. If you have a family history of early heart disease, you might benefit from an earlier heart checkup than someone without this risk factor. 
• You smoke cigarettes: Smoking is a top cause of preventable deaths worldwide; it’s linked with many diseases, including cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The longer you smoke, the higher your chance of developing serious health problems like stroke and CVD later in life. 
• You have diabetes: Type 2 diabetes tends to cause more heart problems, especially if you are obese. 
• You have high blood pressure or abnormal cholesterol levels: Having one or both of these conditions can indicate something wrong with your heart. For these reasons, if you have risk factors for CVD, it may be important to visit your heart clinic in Singapore at an earlier age than 20.

How to Tell if you Might be at Risk for Heart Disease or another Cardiovascular Problem

It may not be easy to tell if you are at risk, especially before symptoms appear. However, there are some warning signs that can help indicate whether or not there may be something wrong with your heart. These include: 

• Chest pain or discomfort, especially during physical activity: Symptoms may include pressure or tightness in the chest, shoulder or arm pain, uneasiness in the stomach area, and shortness of breath. If you feel this way during exercise, stop immediately and get in touch with your heart clinic in Singapore for an appointment.
• Abnormal heart rhythms also known as “arrhythmias”: An arrhythmia is just another for any type of unusual heartbeat. Some arrhythmias may be harmless, while others can lead to a heart attack. 
• Racing or pounding heartbeat: This may signal atrial fibrillation, the most common type of serious arrhythmia.
• Fatigue and dizziness: Anemia (when you have too few red blood cells) is a common cause for these symptoms, but it can also be linked with an underlying heart problem such as coronary artery disease. 
• Shortness of breath while doing ordinary activities like walking up a flight of stairs: You may also feel short of breath while lying down. 
• Swollen ankles or feet: This may be a sign that your heart is unable to pump strongly enough to circulate blood through your body normally.
• A cough, colds, and flu: Sometimes, these common illnesses can indicate an underlying heart condition like coronary artery disease (CAD), also known as coronary heart disease. 

If you experience any of these warning signs regularly, make sure to tell your doctor about them during your next appointment. Your doctor will check you for potential problems or risks related to your cardiovascular system. You should make a habit out of talking about your regular aches and pains with your doctor to catch any potential early warning signs of heart problems.

Also, note that the more healthy choices you make daily, the lower your chances are of developing serious health concerns like CVD down the road. Following some simple guidelines can help you maintain a healthy weight, increase physical activity and reduce stress (which may be linked with poor cardiovascular health). Here are a few lifestyle adjustments that may help:

• Eat lots of fruits and vegetables; fill half your plate with veggies at meals. Not only do they keep your waistline slim, but they’re also rich in antioxidants that support good heart health by reducing inflammation. 
• Choose whole grains over-processed, refined carbohydrates; they contain fiber which slows down the release of sugar in the blood and also helps prevent obesity and diabetes. 
• Cook in minimal amounts of oil: Limit your use to cooking or baking, and never fry food in oil. If you do need to add some fat when cooking vegetables, try using a spray bottle filled with olive oil; it’s rich in healthy monounsaturated fats that can actually be good for your heart (unlike saturated or trans fats). 
• Limit foods high in sodium (e.g., bacon, cheese), as cutting back on salt may lower your risk for high blood pressure.
• Limit your consumption of processed meats, which are rich in sodium, saturated fat, and preservatives. And don’t eat them more than once a week, no matter how tasty they are! 
• Stay active: It’s simple to walk 30 minutes throughout the day or take part in other activities like dancing or cycling. You can also try playing ball games with friends. Working out for at least 150 minutes per week can greatly lower your risk of cardiovascular disease, not to mention that physical activity has been linked with better heart health in all age brackets.
• Watch your alcohol consumption. It’s certainly fine in moderation, but drinking more than this amount may further increase your risk for CVD.
• Get some sleep! Lack of sleep has been linked with an increased risk of developing heart disease. It also affects the strength of our immune system, so try to get at least seven hours of shut-eye per night.

If you’re not already taking these steps toward a healthier lifestyle, now is the time to start thinking about making changes to improve cardiovascular health and reduce risks later on. Most importantly, remember that eating right and exercising regularly go hand in hand; doing one without the other isn’t optimal when it comes to preventing poor cardiovascular health down the road. In fact, they can’t work without each other. Have fun while you do it!

The Bottom Line

While it’s important to visit your heart clinic in Singapore and have your heart checked regularly, you should not be afraid. The likelihood of having a serious problem is low, even if you are diagnosed with a heart condition throughout the years. 

Most people can live happy and healthy lives despite their diagnoses. There are many treatment options available for everyone, no matter what diagnosis they have been given. The best thing you can do is try to change any potentially harmful lifestyle habits to improve cardiovascular health and reduce risks for CVD in the future.

We use the most up-to-date methods for diagnosing heart conditions. Our doctors are on the leading edge of cardiovascular medicine, delivering healthcare to patients in Singapore and beyond. Contact us today to book an appointment with one of our experts at Sunrise Heart and Internal Medicine Clinic.