Cardiovascular diseases affect more and more teenagers, due to unhealthy eating style, lack of exercise, but also as a result of “family inheritance”. Here’s what you have to do to avoid your child getting sick!
Teach him to eat healthy
Fats are our source of energy and provide almost 40% of the total calories in a typical diet. And yet, when the teenager consumes unhealthy foods, such as fast food, excess sweets and carbonated drinks, the level of cholesterol in the blood increases and thus he is prone to heart disease. Therefore, try to pay attention to his diet and give him a suitable example. Give him fresh fruits and vegetables, grains, poultry, eggs and dairy products. Also, convince him to give up putting a lot of salt in his food and get him used to drinking natural fruit juice and teas.
Tobacco and alcohol, dangers for the heart
Adolescence is a period in which the body goes through numerous hormonal and neural transformations. Tobacco and alcohol can slow down the healthy development of the body, leading to the appearance of many health problems, among which the most common are cardiovascular diseases. If he has acquired these habits, it is recommended to take measures before it is too late and he becomes addicted. If they don’t listen to you, you can resort to small constraints, such as forbidding them to leave the house for a while or cutting off their access to the Internet.
Movement improves the condition of blood vessels and blood circulation in the body. Moreover, it is recommended for teenagers, because it shapes their body and protects them from heart diseases. Walking, climbing stairs and jogging are physical exercises that are within your child’s reach and do not cost him money. Explain the benefits of sport and encourage him to exercise.
In children and adolescents, high blood pressure can cause kidney complications, rapid aging of the blood vessels, the heart, the brain and a reduction in life expectancy. High blood pressure is very dangerous because it often does not show any alarming signs or symptoms. By regularly checking your child’s blood pressure, you can take steps to lower it or learn how to prevent heart disease.
Family doctors have at their disposal a cardiovascular risk chart that can also be used in young people, so you can check the child’s health status. Evaluation of the adolescent is especially recommended if you have a family history of cardiovascular disease.
