Natural Ways to Reduce Heart Blockage Without Surgery
These days, heart blockage, also known as atherosclerosis, is something many people face, and it can lead to a range of complications down the line. Irregular and unhealthy diets, hectic schedules, and stressful lifestyles are the key factors in the development of atherosclerosis.
Doctors recommend undergoing a bypass surgery for quick relief. However, there are certain methods to recover from plaque accumulation.
What is a Heart Blockage?
Atherosclerosis, often referred to as heart blockage, mainly occurs due to the accumulation of plaque in the coronary arteries. The narrowing of the arteries restricts the blood flow in the heart. Angina is a common symptom of a heart blockage or atherosclerosis.
What are the Contributing Factors of a Heart Blockage?
Certain risk factors contribute to a heart blockage, which include:
- High Cholesterol : Elevated levels of Low-Density Lipoproteins (LDL or 'bad' cholesterol) in the blood are a major risk factor for plaque formation, leading to atherosclerosis. This can cause the blood vessels to narrow, cutting off the adequate oxygen supply to the heart muscles.
- Hypertension : Increased levels of blood pressure can damage the internal walls of the cardiac arteries, making them more susceptible to plaque accumulation.
- Diabetes : Diabetes can stimulate atherosclerosis and increase the risk of cardiac arrests. It leads to elevated blood glucose levels, which can damage blood vessels and contribute to the development of atherosclerosis.
- Obesity : Obesity can cause high levels of cholesterol, diabetes, and high blood pressure. These complications can lead to plaque formation, causing heart blockage.
- Smoking : Cigarette smoke contains harmful chemicals that can harm the endothelium, which is the inner lining of your arteries. This damage encourages plaque to build up, raising the risk of heart disease. As a result, there is a greater likelihood of plaque forming and blood clots developing in the arteries.
- Family History : Sometimes, a history of heart blockage in the family contributes to the likelihood of plaque formation.
How can you remove heart blockage without undergoing surgery?
To manage a heart blockage, individuals can consider these factors properly and may get a good result. These include:
Lifestyle Changes
- Healthy diet: Patients who have heart blockage must focus on foods that will protect the heart. This includes legumes, fish, meat, vegetables, and fruits like avocados, oranges, and blueberries.
- Stress Management: Stress is one of the most influential factors that contributes to heart and other related problems. We recommend finding healthy ways to manage stress, such as meditation, yoga, or spending more time with nature.
- Say No to Smoking: If someone smokes frequently, quitting is one of the best ways to clear heart blockage without requiring bypass surgery.
- Regular Exercise: Engagement in cardiovascular exercise can strengthen the heart and reduce plaque accumulation.
- Healthy weight: In the case of obese people, it is recommended to maintain a healthy weight to improve the health of the heart.
Medications
- ACE inhibitors: ACE inhibitors lower blood pressure, which helps in preventing any severe heart damage.
- Beta-blockers: These medicines reduce heart rate and blood pressure to prevent any further damage to the cardiac muscles.
- Blood Thinners: Medicines like aspirin or other antiplatelet drugs prevent any blood clots in the narrowed arteries due to plaque accumulation.
- Statins: These medications minimise the cholesterol levels in the blood. Which eventually prevents plaque formation or buildup in the arteries.
- Nitrates: These dilate the blood vessels, improving blood flow to the heart muscles.
Minimal Invasive Procedures
- Angioplasty or Stenting: These processes involve the insertion of a thin tube with a balloon on the tip of the blocked artery. Doctors then inflate the balloon with a stent to keep the area open.
- Laser Angioplasty: Laser technologies are used to remove the plaque from the affected area. It offers a more precise and potentially less invasive approach than conventional angioplasty.
- ESMR Treatment: Shock waves are produced to form newer blood vessels, improving the blood flow to the heart.
- EECP Therapy: It uses pressure cuffs on lower limbs that inflate and deflate in rhythm with a heartbeat, boosting blood flow back to the heart and increasing oxygen supply to heart muscles.
Apart from these, regular checkups are important to monitor heart health and detect any problems as early as possible.