This simple home test could tell you how healthy your heart is

A simple test could help to identify whether an individual’s heart is healthy.

Bright Side (opens in new tab) have revealed an easy 30 second test which can help to shed light on how healthy a heart is.

It involves filling a bowl or basin (big enough to submerge both hands) with cold water.

Ice can be added too, for even better results.

Then both hands should be placed in the water for around 30 seconds.

According to Bright Side, this will help to see how your blood responds when it comes in contact with the cold.

There are two different things that can happen when hands are submerged.

The first is that fingers turn red - which is a good sign as it seems there are no problems concerning the oxygenation of blood.

This often means heart and blood circulation are both healthy.

The other scenario is that fingers might turn a pale or a blue-ish colour - which could mean there are some blood circulation problems.

This can happen when red blood cells have low oxygen levels.

If this does happen, you can massage your fingers to increase blood circulation and help digits return to normal.

Of course, having blue fingers doesn’t necessarily mean there is something wrong with an individual’s heart.

But it can help highlight blood circulation or heart problems, especially if there are other symptoms including shortness of breath, headaches, chest pain, sweating, numbness, or dizziness.

Anyone who has concerns regarding their blood circulation or heart should, of course, consult a GP, who can carry out proper tests and diagnose any conditions.

Some of the best ways to keep a healthy heart include ditching smoking, monitoring blood cholesterol and blood pressure, being physically active, avoiding alcohol and salt and eating nutritious foods.

Maintaining a healthy weight can also help to reduce conditions such as heart disease.