How to Avoid an Aneuryism
Father’s Day was on June 18th and it brought to mind my father. My father had an aneurysm when I was just a baby and I have always wondered when I was growing up without a father what caused one, how to prevent one, and just to understand what an aneurysm was. In this article I will explain the steps you can take to try and avoid an aneurysm and how to treat an aneurysm if you or a loved one ever gets one.
First of all, let me tell you what an aneurysm is. An aneurysm is a weak point in the wall of a blood vessel, commonly caused by a narrowing of the arteries, which is called atherosclerosis. Other culprits are infection, congenital defects, and trauma. Below, I will list steps you can take to avoid an aneurysm. You cannot prevent an aneurysm, but you can lead a healthier lifestyle and avoid one in future.
1) Maintain a healthy body weight (height/weight proportion) and exercise 2-5 times a week for not more than 40 minutes each time. Talk to your doctor or trainer to recommend a healthy pace for your body type. But more importantly, listen to your body; it is the best gauge to tell you when you’ve had enough.
2) Eat your fruits and veggies (don’t you get tired of hearing that?) Avoid fats such as meat, butter, and shortening. Ok, you really can’t stamp meat out of your diet altogether, but try and eat meats that are better for you.
3) Stop smoking! Nicotine causes blood vessels to narrow, forcing them to work harder. The more they work, the more it can make a weak spot rupture.
4) Monitor your blood pressure. Not everyone does it and it’s a simple enough thing to do, by now every supermarket should have one right in his or her pharmacy. High blood pressure can cause an aneurysm to rupture.
5) Check your cholesterol. If it’s still high after making changes to your diet, consult your doctor and ask about lowering your cholesterol via oral medications.
6) Check your blood sugar. Chronic high blood sugar is harmful to arteries.
7) Ask your doctor to check you for syphilis. Chronic syphilis can cause an aneurysm. And we all know how syphilis is contracted! Besides lowering blood sugar and all that, try and lower your sex partners as well.
8) Avoid constipation. Straining to move your bowels is hard on your heart and blood vessels. If you don’t exercise regularly or eat right, drink plenty of cranberry juice! Constipation is no fun for anyone. If it should persist, consult your doctor ASAP.
9)Avoid stress. Yeah, I know no one can avoid it but try and decrease the amount you have from day to day. Stress causes blood vessels to narrow, raising blood pressure and making the heart work harder. If you can, try and zone out at least once a day. Picture your favorite spot, and relax.
10) Take an aspirin every other day. Aspirin helps keep plaque from building up inside veins and arteries. I know right? Who knew a simple aspirin taken 3 times a week would help you live longer? I just thought it was for headaches and such. But surprise, aspirin can cure a whole lot of stuff.
And finally, I grew up without a dad because my parents divorced, not because a blood vessel popped in his head (which was a near thing). But my dad wasn’t lucky enough that the doctors caught it early on, he suffered. A lot. To this day. His long-term memory is shot and his speech is slow at best. He lives on his veteran’s check every month and his sister; my aunt takes care of him. I would love to say I visit him often or better yet that I take care of him but growing up I found out is a hard thing to do, and life gets in the way sometimes of taking care of the people who raised you.
