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Heart attacks are one of the most common causes of death in modern society, so it’s important that you understand factors that could increase this health risk. There are a number of things that can increase your risk of having a heart attack, but did you know that the flu can also increase your chances of having a heart attack? A new study indicates the importance of the flu shot in avoiding this serious hazard to your health.

 

Heart Attack Risk Factors

There are a number of factors that increase your risk of having a heart attack. This includes family history, your weight, your physical fitness, your age and even your diet. Unfortunately, heart attacks are becoming ever more common in modern society, probably because of lifestyle factors. They are a leading cause of death amongst both men and women, and that’s why it’s so important that you understand all of your risk factors and work to eliminate them. Some risk factors are very difficult or almost impossible to eliminate, such as your family history or your age. Because you can’t change these factors, you need to focus on the ones you can when you perform a health assessment. That way you can make the changes you need to make to lower your health risk.

 

Influenza and Heart Attacks

Influenza, most often referred to as the flu, is a highly contagious virus that can be transmitted from person to person or through the atmosphere. It causes a variety of symptoms including coughing, a runny nose, a sore throat, headaches, chest infections and fever. Everyone gets the flu, and it’s impossible to avoid these annoying infections, but most of the time they cause fairly little damage in healthy people. It’s when children, the elderly, or people with a depressed immune system due to other illnesses get the flu that it causes a problem.

 

The Link Between the Flu and Heart Attacks

A recent study has suggested a strong link between the flu and heart attacks. For a long time, doctors have known that respiratory infections can put an added strain on the body and are sometimes followed by heart attacks, but the extent of this connection remained undefined. The Canadian study followed a group of people who had contracted the flu to determine if their risk of heart attack was increased in the one week period afterwards. The scientists found that people who contracted the flu had an increased risk of a serious heart event in the week after their illness. The cause of this connection is not fully understood, but the findings have serious implications for people who are already at high risk of having a heart attack.

 

What you Should do About it

Even if the link between the flu and heart attacks isn’t clear yet, it’s still important to acknowledge that the flu can be a risk factor for more dangerous illnesses. Fortunately, this is an easy health risk to eliminate. Getting the flu shot every year is a good way to lower your risk of suffering from the flu, or at least decrease the intensity and duration of the virus if you do end up getting it. This is a fairly simple and easy way to lower this serious health risk and have peace of mind during the flu season.

 

If you do Get the Flu

The suggestion of a link between the flu and heart disease calls for greater care when you do get the flu as well. Because of this link, if you’re already at high risk of heart attacks, you should consult your doctor when you get the flu. Your doctor can help to monitor your vital signs and suggest any lifestyle changes that might help to undo any damage done by the flu. You should also increase your own health assessment activities, to watch for any signs of changes in your physical condition or subtle signs that something’s wrong. Just make sure that you inform your doctor of any health changes you make during this time, so they’re always aware of any details relevant to your personal health.

 

 

If you’re at higher risk of heart disease and get the flu, you might consider using tools such as HomeLab to keep track of your condition and any changes that occur. And if you see signs of a significant problem, you should check with your doctor as soon as possible.

 

 

Tags: personal health, health risk, health assessment.