Recovering from a heart attack does more than restore your health and help you return to the activities you enjoy. A successful recovery also goes a long way toward preventing another heart attack. That's an important goal because one in five people will have a second heart attack within five years of their first one.
The team at Woodlands Heart and Vascular Institute provides the medical care and lifestyle support you need to recover from a heart attack and move confidently forward with the rest of your life. In this blog post, we give you four steps to take after a heart attack.
Cardiac rehabilitation is a unique program designed to improve your health as you recover. The program builds the foundation for a lifestyle that keeps your heart healthy.
During cardiac rehab, you learn about healthy nutrition and exercise. Professionals offer stress management tips and help you create an eating plan and an exercise routine that fit your needs.
Another benefit of cardiac rehab is that you have a support group of people who understand your concerns and share the same goals. Most cardiac rehab programs last a few months. When they end, we're here to provide ongoing care and encouragement.
Taking an active role and following your cardiac rehab plan has a big payoff. In addition to restoring your health, there’s evidence that a cardiac rehab may lower your risk of a repeat heart attack by 47%.
You will need medications after your heart attack. You may take one or more of the following:
Heart medications have the ability to ease your symptoms, keep your heart healthy, and lower your risk of a future heart attack, but only if you take them as prescribed. That may sound obvious, but it's worth thinking about because some research shows that more than 40% of heart attack survivors don't take their medications.
There are many reasons people stop taking life-saving medications, including side effects, financial concerns, and forgetfulness. As medication-management specialists, we work with you, creating solutions so you can get the medication you need.
Though you expect to feel happy and truly blessed to survive a heart attack, you should also plan on having other uncontrollable and unwanted emotions. You may worry about another heart attack or if it's safe to engage in activities without harming your heart.
Feeling depressed after a heart attack is so common it has a name: the cardiac blues. You may also experience anxiety, sadness, and anger. A heart attack stresses your body, mind, and emotions. Fluctuating feelings are a natural response to that stress.
If you feel overwhelmed by emotions, reach out to a mental health professional or ask us to give you a referral. They have treatments that can help restore balance in your emotional life and support your ability to cope with life after a heart attack.
We schedule regular appointments to monitor your recovery after a heart attack. In addition to medication management, our primary goal at each appointment is to support your recovery, answer your questions, and provide the care you need to stay healthy and well.
If you have any questions about recovery from a heart attack, call Woodlands Heart and Vascular Institute or book an appointment online today.
