Consult your doctor, follow his/her advice, take medicine if needed and change your lifestyle— these are the mantras to be followed to enjoy a good and healthy life, said Dr Subhasis Ganguly.

As more and more young people are joining multi-gyms, jogging, running or cycling long-distances, it is mandatory for them to do a thorough health checkup before taking up weight training, and other such activities. ”The person should do an ECG, ECO, chest X-ray, and routine blood test, and if abnormalities are found, he or she should avoid these exercises,” Dr Ganguly said, adding that “these days we often find young regular gym goers and athletes collapse in the gyms or in the field. There are various reasons for these sorts of unfortunate incidents. It may be they have concealed the medicines they are taking or have stopped taking medicines, joined gyms, and started doing heavy exercise. If the brain or the heart does not get a supply of blood for three to five minutes, there could be death. To combat the situation, every gym should keep oxygen cylinders, and if a person complains of acute chest pain or is found to be sweating heavily, he or she should be put on oxygen.”

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Dr Ganguly said for those who go trekking or mountaineering, a complete health checkup is a must for them. “We often read in newspapers that young mountaineers collapse during the trip, and the hapless family members do not know what to do. Again, if any abnormality is found, then the person should give up such a venture.”

Dr Ganguly said for those who are leading stressful lives and have family histories of illnesses, health screening is mandatory for them. “There are families where youths around 20 or 25 years of age join businesses. They travel a lot, eat junk food, can’t sleep at night and get up late in the morning. If such persons have a family history of sudden heart attacks or hypertension, then they should have to be additionally cautious.”

Dr Ganguly maintained that family history is very important for the treatment of any person. If the parents had diabetes, an incident of sudden heart attack, or death, then the person should have to go for a regular health checkup. “These days, children do not play, and many of them eat junk food. This habit should have to be given up. Obesity in childhood leads to heart attacks and other diseases. There are two types of problems. Suppose a person takes too much food and has developed diabetes or high cholesterol. Then the issues can be addressed by regulating the diet and taking medicines for hypertension or high cholesterol. Once these are controlled, then the problems that have cropped up, like diabetes, uric acid, and hypertension, will also come down. But if there is congenital heart disease, then one should be on a stricter diet, and the lifestyle needs to be changed.”

He said great advancements have taken place in treating heart patients. “There are good medicines, but the patients need proper health awareness. If there is chest pain, do not neglect it and consult a doctor immediately. Do not follow treatment by listening to medical advice on social media. This trend is dangerous.”

Dr Ganguly maintained, “It is difficult to lead a stress-free life, but one should try to bring it down as far as possible. Going for a regular walk, exercising for an hour, and even swimming are good for your health. One should join adda sessions, as they help reduce stress. If the health is not good, then no enjoyment is possible. Eat good food, but control the quantity. Try to come out of a sedentary lifestyle. If you are otherwise fit, do a thorough body checkup once a year. Take the reports to the doctor and follow his advice.”

Dr Ganguly is not of the opinion that patients should be sacred. “A perfect relationship between the patient and the doctor can help to combat the disease in much better ways,” he said with a smiling face. Dr Ganguly is one such doctor by whom the patients feel that their disease has gone, and this has become possible because of the confidence he gives among the patients suffering from heart ailments.