- By Jim Evans
- Around Town
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{AF background=#ffffff,border=black,float=right,width=200px}A few years ago, my heart stopped functioning properly. A cardiac artery was blocked, and I felt some strange and scary symptoms. The blockage was relieved with a stent, and the hospital that installed it included a detailed lecture to all such patients. They don’t want to see us again. Heeding that information has kept me healthy, and I want to share what I’ve learned.{/AFWe heart patients find ourselves in an ironic position. Stress contributes to heart attack risk. Duh, we know that, right? Well, now that we've had our bit of scary excitement and can walk around again, we're supposed to take care of ourselves so we can annoy our loved ones for as long as possible, right? Doesn't that mean that for now and forever amen we're worrying about another heart attack? And worry causes stress, right? Isn't this fun?
So if worrying about a heart attack can bring on a heart attack, how do you stop worrying? Short answer: Do everything you're supposed to do, and congratulations, this is your personal best, so relax. What more can you do?Slightly longer answer: Avoid destructive stress on your body, such as shoveling snow or running hard with no warmup, such as not taking meds as directed, and such as eating saturated fats. You can also reduce stress by staying busy. Rest not, rust not. This applies at least as much to your brain as to points south.
If you've had what the medical profession likes to call a cardiac event, you're probably old enough to remember cars with heavy, chrome bumpers. I'm old enough to remember flat windshields, and I often think about how much having an old body is like having an old car. It keeps needing more maintenance, repair, and new parts. You can't just park it and forget it if you want it to start and run.
So eat right and keep moving. And pursue as many interests as your days allow. Research has firmly established that folks who stay involved with others live longer, happier, and healthier lives, so get out of bed and go to a class or worship service. Get involved. Get out of your chair and go to the gym, or take a hard walk. Research also proves that frequent exercise, especially outdoors, reduces stress and depression. Having a dog to walk and need you also helps you live longer.
Depression is destructive. Very stressful. I've been there. The Pit gets too deep to want to work out of. I needed a medical boost to get going again, and I don't ever want to go back down there. So I'm pretty good at taking my own advice.
One more thing: Excessive screen time can cause depression. It's a fact. So can FaceBook. Seriously. Obviously, our magical screens can call us in and cause us to turn whole days into ashes. So get up and get some real face time with the rest of the world.
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