Recovery
After a Heart Attack
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- What you can expect when you return
home
- How you can prevent a heart attack
from occurring in the future
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What
you can expect when you return home
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Returning
home after a heart attack can be frightening. This section talks about
early recovery, including:
- activity
- feelings
- diet
- sexual activity
Keep in mind it takes about two months for
your heart to heal.
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Activity
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- The first week you return home, you
may feel tired or weak. This is because of the damage to your
heart muscle and the bedrest you had in the hospital.
- For the first few weeks:
- Get dressed each morning. You should
be able to take care of all your personal hygiene (bathing, shaving,
dressing).
- Pace yourself. Spread your activities
throughout the day. If you become tired, rest and schedule unfinished
activities for another day.
- You may climb stairs at home as part
of your daily activity, unless your doctor told you not to. Try
to arrange your activities so that you do not have to climb up
and down stairs several times during the day.
- Walk every day as prescribed by your
doctor. A regular walking program is a good way to regain your
energy. Ask your doctor about the right amount of exercise for
you.
- ch as folding
clothes, cooking, light gardening, dusting and washing dishes.
- Do not lift, push or pull very heavy
objects until your doctor tells you that you may resume these
activities.
- Your doctor will advise you as to when
you can return to work, drive a car and begin more vigorous activities
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Feelings
after a heart attack
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About
one fourth of patients after a heart attack feel depressed, angry
and afraid. These are normal responses that usually go away with time,
as you get back to your regular activities. To help relieve the emotional
blues:
- Get up and get dressed every day. Do
not stay in bed all day
- Get out and walk daily. Daily activity
will help you have a healthy mind and body.
- Resume hobbies and social activities
you enjoy.
- Share your feelings with your family,
a friend, a clergyman, or support group
- Get a good night's sleep. Lack of sleep
can cause you to feel tired or irritable. Be careful not to nap
too much during the day, or you will not be able to sleep at night.
- Limit visits with friends and family
at first, to avoid feeling over-tired. Increase them depending
on how you feel. With time, these visits can be helpful to lift
your spirits.
- Join a cardiac rehabilitation program
– emotional support is just one benefit to a guided activity
& education program.
- If you have questions, ask your health
care team! You can avoid much stress for yourself and your family
if you know about your heart disease and what you can and cannot
do.
If you do not feel like your emotions are
improving or you are concerned about feeling of depressed call your
doctor. Medications and counseling is available to help you through
this time.
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Diet
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Eating
a heart healthy diet is very important to prevent future complications
of heart disease. Six strategies to reduce coronary artery disease
include:
- Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole
grains, and legumes
- Choose fat calories wisely
- Eat a variety, and just the right amount
of protein foods
- Limit dietary cholesterol
- Use complex carbohydrates for energy,
and limit the intake of simple carbohydrates
- Place less emphasis on sodium and increase
your intake of potassium, magnesium and calcium
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Sexual
activity
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Sexual
activity can usually be resumed shortly after leaving the hospital.
The amount of energy it requires to perform intercourse with a spouse
or regular partner is similar to climbing about one or two flights
of stairs or walking about one-half mile (0.8 km) at a brisk pace.
If you cannot perform these activities without getting angina, short
of breath, or becoming over-tired, please discuss this with your doctor
before resuming sexual activity.
Keep in mind that a sexual relationship has both physical and emotional
aspects
- Talk openly with your partner
- Have sex when you are rested and physically
comfortable
- Be caring, honest and loving with each
other
- Anxiety on the part of either partner,
as well as some medications, may interfere with sexual arousal
and performance. So discuss any difficulties with your doctor.
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How
you can prevent heart attack from occurring in the future
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The
goal after your heart attack is to keep your heart healthy and reduce
your risks, to prevent future damage to your heart.
- Take your medications
- Change your lifestyle
- See you doctor for regular heart checkups
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Take
your medications
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Medications
are prescribed after a heart attack to
- prevent future blood clots
- lessen the work of your heart and improve
your heart’s performance and recovery
- lower cholesterol
Other medications may be prescribed if needed.
These include medications to treat irregular heartbeats, lower blood
pressure, control angina (chest discomfort) and treat heart failure.
Check the drug search to find out about your medications.
It is important to know:
- the names of your medications
- what they are for
- how often and at what times to them.
Your doctor or nurse should review your medications
with you. Keep a list of your medications and bring them to each of
your doctor visits. If you have questions about your medications,
ask your doctor or pharmacist.
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Change
your lifestyle
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There
is no cure for coronary artery disease. In order to prevent the progression
of this disease, you must follow your doctor's advice and make necessary
lifestyle changes:
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Stop
Smoking
Smoking is directly related to an increased
risk of heart attack and its complications.
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Lower
high blood cholesterol
A high-fat diet can contribute to increased
fat in your blood. Follow a low-fat, low-cholesterol eating plan.
When proper eating does not control cholesterol levels, medication
is prescribed. A registered dietitian is a good source for dietary
information.
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Control
high blood pressure
High blood pressure can damage the lining
of your coronary arteries and lead to coronary artery disease. A healthy
diet, exercise, medications and controlling sodium in your diet can
help control high blood pressure.
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Maintain
tight diabetes control
High blood sugars are linked to the progression
of coronary artery disease. If you have diabetes, it is important
to control high blood sugar through diet, exercise, and medications.
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Follow
a regular exercise plan
A regular exercise program helps to regain
or maintain your energy level, lower cholesterol, manage weight, control
diabetes and relieve stress. Check with your doctor first before beginning
an exercise program.
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Achieve
and maintain your ideal body weight
Obesity is defined as being very overweight
(greater than 25 percent body fat for men or 30 percent body fat for
women). When you are very overweight, your heart has to do more work,
and you are at increased risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol
levels and diabetes. A healthy diet and exercise program aimed at
weight loss can help improve your health.
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Control
Stress and Anger
Uncontrolled stress or anger is linked to
increased coronary artery disease risk. You may need to learn skills
such as time management, relaxation, or yoga to help lower your stress
levels.
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Cardiac
Rehabilitation
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Make
a doctor's appointment four to six weeks after you leave the hospital.
Your doctor will want to check the progress of your recovery.
Your doctor may ask you to undergo diagnostic tests (such as exercise
or pharmacological stress tests or cardiac catheterization) at regular
intervals. |
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