3 Tips for Successful Heart Attack Recovery
After a major health episode like a heart attack, many sufferers choose to live a healthier lifestyle compared to their pre-heart attack life. Usually, before being discharged from the hospital, your physician will advise you on how you can continue your life in a heart-healthy way. Remember, it can take several months for successful heart attack recovery. With the assistance of healthcare professionals, your family, and by following a healthy lifestyle, you will get back on the right track. Read on for tips on how to improve your heart attack recovery period:
1. Follow the Doctor’s Orders
Your doctor is the best person to listen to when it comes to medical advice regarding your recovery. Make sure to listen and even take down notes about what they want you to do during the recovery phase. Do not be shy to ask your physician questions that you are curious about so you can fully understand how your heart attack has affected your body and what this means for you in the future.
Cardiac rehabilitation will start when you are in the hospital. You will have your own cardiac rehabilitation team that will make visits and closely monitor your condition throughout your hospital stay. Your doctor will be the head of your cardiac rehabilitation team, and he or she will advise you on the best way to restore your physical fitness and reduce your risk of having another heart attack.
2. Make Lifestyle Changes
Besides genetics, heart problems can arise because of certain risk factors such as diet, exercise, sleeping habits, vices and many more. Your physician, will let you know what foods to stay away from and which foods to increase in your diet. If you are a smoker or like to drink alcohol, you should stay away from these habits because they can worsen existing problems and trigger new heart problems.
You doctor will also advise you to slowly increase your exercise level to strengthen your heart. After a heart attack, activities that you might have done in the past might have to wait. Ask your doctor about how long you need to rest, and when you can resume certain activities. This timeline will depend on your health and the state of your heart. Light activities may be approved but other activities that are a bit more complex and require more effort might have to wait a couple weeks to a couple of months.
3. Get Help
Heart attack sufferers may find it difficult to live independently when returning home from the hospital. You may have limited movement, and require assistance with daily tasks that seemed simple before. A home health care provider can offer help at this point in your heart attack recovery process. Your caregiver is able to assist you with moving around your home, preparing meals, light housekeeping tasks, medication reminders, running errands, attending appointments and can also offer companionship. Having someone attend to you and your household tasks can be of great benefit to your recovery process overall. Contact Bayshore HealthCare today at 1-877-289-3997 to find out how we can help you have a successful heart attack recovery.