clogged arteries fear

[Eggplant345]

hi, i'm 18 years old and i am completely petrified of having a heart attack. my dad has had 3, so that is where my fear stems from. i can admit i have not been the healthiest eater for the past maybe 2 years. frozen foods, junk food, snacks, soda, etc. now i am having short chest pains and left arm pain. i am one of those hypchondriac's that is afraid of going to the doctor. i just can't let go of this fear. i have started eating healthier this week. no frozen food, water only, and i have been taking the fish oil pills. i can just mentally picture my arteries being clogged and have a huge panic attack and just break into a waterfall of tears.

[Fishmanpa]

No chance at 18... none. It's good that you started eating better. With heart disease in your family, you can prevent future problems by eating right and exercising.

Positive thoughts

[spacebunnyx]

A close relative of mine is an icu doctor. They have never had someone under the age of 30 have a heart attack.

[tmckenzie-orr]

the only way you would have heart attack at a young age is iff you have a heart defect, Otherwise its physically impossible for arteries to clog especially at the age you are, enjoy ur fast food and junk food but also eat your veg and vitamins and water and exercise , obviously the fears are massive after your dad havin heart attacks but doesnt mean you have to have them,

[Fishmanpa]

enjoy ur fast food and junk food but also eat your veg and vitamins and water and exercise ,

Once in a while it's Ok to have the junk... but it's best not to make it a regular part of your diet. As one old enough to be your father and who's had two heart attacks, bypass surgery and stents, it's really best to start early on the health stuff. Hindsight is 20/20 right?

Positive thoughts

[Frenchy]

hi, i'm 18 years old and i am completely petrified of having a heart attack. my dad has had 3, so that is where my fear stems from. i can admit i have not been the healthiest eater for the past maybe 2 years. frozen foods, junk food, snacks, soda, etc. now i am having short chest pains and left arm pain. i am one of those hypchondriac's that is afraid of going to the doctor. i just can't let go of this fear. i have started eating healthier this week. no frozen food, water only, and i have been taking the fish oil pills. i can just mentally picture my arteries being clogged and have a huge panic attack and just break into a waterfall of tears.

Firstly, I just want to say I am sorry that your Dad (and you) had to go through that ordeal. It can't have been easy and I can empathise with you completely.

But take it from me (my father and his brother both also had heart attacks in their 50's when I was about your age), I have literally eaten THE worst diet you could imagine all my life. In fact I dodged salad and vegetables completely until I was in my mid 20's and have eaten junk food all my life. I'm better these days, but only the last few years - and yet despite my diet and heart disease running in my family - at 37 years old, my arteries are completely clear. In fact, they are probably the only part of my cardiovascular system that is in perfect working order. And that, my cardiologist tells me, is simply due to my age.

As others have already said, at 18 years old you have absolutely NO reason to be afraid. None whatsoever. Zilch. You see, it isn't JUST poor diet that clogs up arteries... it also takes a number of years (more than your 18 years probably :) ) for that kind of build up to accumulate - and age itself is a factor in your arteries beginning to clog.

I really wish I was standing in front of you at this moment so I could look you in the eye and tell you to your face, you have nothing to fear, my friend.

But here is what I think you should do.... Don't smoke, get enough fluids and eat healthily as often as you can. That's it! That's all anyone has to do to be healthy.

You're young, enjoy your junk food occasionally, but just don't live off it completely. Keep hydrated - that's sensible advice for anyone. Drink alcohol in moderation (the occasional "messy one is fine) not because you have to worry about heart disease - but because that is a good template for your adult life. Aim to get your 5 a day - but if some days you don't, that's OK. Aim for 6 the next day!

I won't lie - reading your post broke my heart a little bit. Because no 18 year old should be afraid like that. So it would help if you could cheer me up a bit by replying to this thread and telling us you believe what we are saying to you and you feel better about things :D

[Eggplant345]

thank you so much everyone! these replies helped put my mind at ease so much. i am going to start exercising more (gonna put this gym membership i am paying for to use) and obviously eating healthier. and also thank you for the kind words for my father, it means a lot. :):)

[Frenchy]

thank you so much everyone! these replies helped put my mind at ease so much. i am going to start exercising more (gonna put this gym membership i am paying for to use) and obviously eating healthier. and also thank you for the kind words for my father, it means a lot. :):)

Yes, I missed exercise (knowing myself, I'm not surprised)

Don't smoke, get enough fluids and eat healthily as often as you can and get some exercise. That's it! That's all anyone has to do to be healthy.

Well done. Enjoy life Eggplant. Learn from you Dad's situation - but don't let it own you. Let it make you stronger :yesyes:

[MichaelF]

Though I think there is no real need for you to worry I'd like you to be well informed about the healthful lifestyle that you should adapt to clean your arteries and keep them healthy.

Some of the better food options that I came across for this are Turmeric, Cayenne pepper, lemon, pomegranate and green tea.

Some of the lifestyle changes that you can make for better health are avoiding tobacco use, doing physical activities etc.

[bin tenn]

A close relative of mine is an icu doctor. They have never had someone under the age of 30 have a heart attack.

Even 30, or anything under 40, seems to be pretty rare based on what my cardiologist told me recently. So I definitely agree with this.

[Sparky16]

My Dad had his first heart attack when I was 3 (he was 58) and died from a heart attack when I was 12. (Yes, this is where my HA comes from.) When I was a teenager, I worried a lot about heart disease.

Finally, when I was in my 20's and had more control over my own health care, I went to my family doctor to discuss what my risks actually were. We discussed why my father had a first heart attack relatively young (smoking and alcohol). Because some families have a hereditary problem with high cholesterol, my doctor checked mine, even though he didn't suspect this because my father didn't have a history of early high cholesterol. My cholesterol was fine.

So my advice is go to the doctor (yes, I know you don't want to), tell him about the chest and arm pains, and your father's history of heart attacks. He'll probably diagnose a muscle issue that is causing your pain (I had costrochondritis as a teenager from weight lifting, and that was no fun with cardiophobia!). Then you can also discuss your family history and how it affects you, or doesn't affect you, as the case may be. I wish I had been able to do this as a teenager, it would have saved me a lot of anxiety and depression.

Keep up the healthy eating and exercise, because it's good for you in many ways, anyhow.

[swajj]

It may be uncommon for people under a certain age to have heart attacks it does happen. I don’t think anyone should take changes with chest pain so get yourself checked out.