Our skin is one of the hardest working organs our body has to offer. It acts as a shield from the outside world for the world inside of us. The next and one of the most important organs we have is our heart. Our heart never gets a break, continuously pumping blood throughout our body for us to survive. To end the month of February, also known as American Heart Month, we want to take some time away from aesthetics and discuss why our heart is just as important as our skin and what you can do to achieve and maintain a healthy heart.
Many people do not realize how your skin and your heart go hand in hand. A medical professional can almost always gauge your health just by looking at your skin, even if you take great care of it. One major sign of cardiovascular disease in the skin is inflammation. When your skin is inflamed, then it may not be a big deal. But, if you develop chronic inflammation, it may indicate that something deeper is going on. Mind you, everyone’s body is not the same and inflammation can be a side effect of different things, but it is essential to speak with a doctor and get a check-up to be sure there are no issues.
Other than skin inflammation, other signs of heart disease will appear on your skin. The main symptom of heart disease is swelling in your hands and feet, which indicates that your heart might not be working as it should be. Developing discoloration such as blue or purple skin is a sign of a blocked vessel or artery, while red or brown discoloration is a sign of a heart infection. Outside of your skin color, having curved nails (referred to as clubbing) are a sign of both heart and lung disease, but is not considered as serious as the before mentioned symptoms. We are not trying to scare you, but we want you to be aware of these signs so you will know what to do to take care of yourself and your heart.
The beautiful thing about our bodies is that we can reverse almost all heart diseases with little changes in our lifestyle. The best and most important way to start a healthy heart journey is by visiting your primary care physician. If you have any concerns or want to know how to take better care of your heart, your physician will provide the tools necessary to begin. One thing we can guarantee your physician will say is to start with a healthy diet. Most diseases, heart included, begin with the foods you eat. We talk a lot about how your diet and water intake can improve your skin, but it will also improve your overall health. With your diet, staying active helps exercise your heart and strengthen it (they call it cardio for a reason). The last way to live a heart-healthy life is to limit the activities that cause damage to your body. Things like stress, smoking, and alcohol use cause the heart to weaken over time, leading to heart disease and other diseases in the body.
Taking care of your heart is, directly and indirectly, taking care of your skin. As you see, the steps to care for your heart align with your skin and entire body. If you notice any changes in your skin, know that it is never too late to reverse the issues and create a healthy routine and lifestyle for your heart. For more information regarding heart health, check out the American Heart Association website.