Things To Do After Having A Heart Attack

Heart attacks occur when blood flow is blocked to the heart muscle. Symptoms of a heart attack vary in each person. There are people who get classic symptoms, but many also experience faint symptoms so they don't realize it. Some of the symptoms that many sufferers report when having a heart attack are chest pain, sweating, nausea, weakness, and difficulty breathing.

Based on the presentation of Dr. Nadia Octavia, chest pain from a heart attack is usually like a heavy load or being pierced. "Some people describe it as being crushed by an elephant or a chest like a very tight coir. This complaint can also be felt in the upper body, "he said.

Although deadly, not a few people who survived a heart attack and undergo medical treatment. Therefore, if you feel a heart attack, immediately visit the hospital's emergency department for treatment. After that, follow the advice of the cardiologist so that you can recover quickly.

Reported by Prevention, you are recommended to do the following after a heart attack:

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1. immediately find out your risk factors

Anyone will find it difficult to solve a problem if the root cause is unknown. This also applies to heart attacks. Discuss with your doctor to find out the risk factors that cause you to have a heart attack. That way, you can avoid it by planning or changing.

For example, if the risk factor is smoking and eating unhealthy food, then you should try to quit smoking and adopt a healthy diet.

2. Discuss with the medical team before leaving the hospital

You can ask the following questions to the medical team that handles you:

• When can I continue physical activity, including sex?
• When should I consult with my heart doctor again?
• Do I have to drink every day or is there a medicine that I have to drink as needed?
• Is my overall heart function reduced due to a heart attack?

3. Stay alert

After a heart attack, don't hesitate to talk to your doctor if you still feel chest pain. Especially if the chest pain is very uncomfortable and lasts more than a few minutes. Immediately visit the emergency department to get a thorough examination.

4. Adjust your medication

Give a list of medicines and pills you are taking to your doctor, so the doctor can adjust the medication and dosage to your condition. Certain supplements can increase blood pressure, so it's important to discuss with your doctor.

After the medication is given, take it according to the doctor's advice. Even if you feel better, don't stop taking medication without a doctor's supervision.

5. Heart rehabilitation

Take a heart rehabilitation program that will be very useful to facilitate healing. Heart rehabilitation has been shown to improve the health of heart disease patients. When doing cardiac rehabilitation, patients will be accompanied by a sports physiologist and also a nutritionist.

According to the study, attending only one session per week (for a 12-week rehabilitation period) was able to have a significant impact, namely reducing mortality by 50 percent.

6. Start exercise slowly

Exercising is still important because it can help strengthen the heart muscles. Start slowly with low intensity cardio exercise and low impact for 5-10 minutes. Then gradually it can be increased to 40 minutes per day, 5 days per week. To maintain or build muscle, also do total-body strength training (for example, lifting weights) for 2-3 times per week.

7. Stop smoking and limit drinking to alcohol

The study conducted by the American Journal of Cardiology found an interesting fact. It was stated that those who smoke again after a heart attack are three times more likely to die the following year than those who stop smoking.

Make sure you stop smoking or use any tobacco products. In addition, if you have a habit of drinking alcohol, limit it so that it is not excessive and is better if you can stop completely.

8. Consultation with a nutritionist

If you really need to, you can use a nutritionist to guide or plan your daily diet. The types of diets that are good for the heart are the Mediterranean diet, the TLC diet (Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes) for lowering cholesterol, and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. Also note that people with heart disease should limit the consumption of processed foods and those containing excess salt, because it will aggravate the heart.

9. Manage stress

The stress you feel can affect heart health. If you feel sad, try to share with the closest people or seek help from a therapist. Not a few heart attack patients experience depression after being attacked, and this can complicate treatment. Therefore, manage your stress well.

To prevent a recurrence of a heart attack and restore your heart, apply the 9 tips above. Remember that a heart attack is an alarm for your body. So, start to apply a healthy lifestyle from now on.

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