The best investment you can make is in yourself, and the trusted team at SSM Health can help you stay happy and healthy.
The situation with COVID-19 has been a stressful time for many, and that anxiety may have led to some unhealthy choices, like sleeping less, exercising less and an unusually poor diet. Those bad habits can increase your risk of heart-related diseases.
The good news is that it’s not too late to get back on track with heart-healthy living, and it starts with a visit to your primary care provider.
“Maintaining a relationship with your primary care physician and cardiologist is important to ensure appropriate disease prevention and diagnose diseases earlier. It also presents the opportunity to work with you on a personalized plan and goals,” says SSM Health cardiologist Dr. James Ballard.
One concern that many healthcare providers have had during the COVID-19 pandemic is people putting off visiting their doctor. However, delays in receiving care, even for something like a wellness visit, can actually have long-term effects.
“Serious consequences can occur due to waiting too long to receive care,” says Ballard. “During a heart attack, we often say ‘time is muscle.’ If you delay care, it is often too late to receive the benefit of potential interventions.”
SSM Health patients may visit their providers in-person or may also be a candidate for seeing their doctor from the comfort of their own home by scheduling a virtual visit.
Patients are encouraged to take the steps to begin getting back into a heart-healthy routine and to schedule a check-up with their physician by visiting ssmhealth.com/heartneeds.