Cases of young people dying of a heart attack after a slight exertion are rising across the country. From Gujarat shocking news emerged last month that no less than ten persons died while dancing Garba during the recent Navratri celebrations. Among the deceased were a woman and even a 17-year-old boy named Veer Shah. Such incidents were unheard of earlier.
The teenager was dancing at a festival in Kheda district while he suddenly collapsed. He first complained of dizziness but soon fell silent and stopped responding to the anxious questions of his friends. The efforts to revive him with Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) proved futile and when he was taken to hospital, the doctors pronounced him dead. According to a report in India TV, a similar case was seen when a 24-year-old Garba enthusiast from Ahmedabad collapsed and died while dancing.
Following these incidents doctors in Gujarat advised people who suffer from high blood pressure or diabetes not to indulge in dancing. The tragedy is that in many cases, especially among young people, nobody is aware of the condition of their internal health. Outwardly all seem to be fit and they do not care to go in for regular medical checkups.
Cases of unexpected heart attacks and cardiac arrest have been seen not only among students and ordinary people but also in extremely fit athletes. In the last decade, there have been many cases of sportspersons in their 20s and 30s suffering heart attacks. Some could be revived vbut others met an early end.
In 2019 Spain’s top football goalkeeper Iker Casillas suffered a heart attack during practice. In 2020, during the Euro football tournament, Danish footballer Christian Eriksen collapsed during the course of a game. Luckily expert help was provided immediately and a tragedy was averted.
What are the reasons behind this trend?
So what are the causes for the rising cases of heart attacks among the youth? There are different complex reasons behind this rising trend. One of them is that the lifestyle of youngsters has seen drastic changes from that of their parents. The advent of television, computer games and cell phones keeps youngsters busy. They are less physically active than their parents.
Even physical trainers now admit that gym workouts and strenuous sports activities have only limited effect. No amount of gym workouts can compensate for the fact that when they are away from the gym, the boys and girls are relaxing with a cell phone or laptop in hand. Gym workouts are designed to shape the outer covering of the body. Six pack abs and bulging biceps are like the cover of a book that has torn and tattered pages inside. The cover is just for show. What lies inside is the real substance.
Excessive use of steroids may cause damage
In addition to the workouts, many youngsters take recourse to steroids and protein supplements to obtain quick results. Everyone wants to be another Arnold Schwarzenegger within a few months. In the process they end up damaging the internal functioning of their bodies.
According to several health experts, less strenuous activity like walking or hiking, can benefit the internal organs more than hard exercise in a gym. A report in Everyday Health states that the optimal amount of exercise benefits the heart, lungs, weight control and even one’s mood. Overdoing exercise and frequently pushing the human body to its limit may be harmful in the long run.
There is also the question of Compulsive Exercise. That occurs when the trainee is no longer enjoying the activity but feels that it is a task that must be done at all costs. That results in severe mood swings, chronic stress and anxiety disorders leading to physical deterioration too.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, exercise is similar to other medical interventions and has potential costs associated with it. Overindulgence may cause harmful side effects ranging from minor injuries to more serious complications and even sudden death. The article recommends following good lifestyle practices such as not smoking, eating a balanced, moderate diet and maintaining ideal body weight.
In this respect the older people who did plenty of walking and cycling to and from their workplace and also ate natural (unprocessed) foods used to be fitter than the youth of today who do little walking and eat refined, processed foods available in supermarkets. They try to compensate for it by excessive amounts of workouts at the gym. There is a dire need for young Indians to change their habits and customs to become healthier internally.
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