https://www.yahoo.com/news/5-questions-ask-heart-attack-110000118.html
"Serious as a heart attack." That's
a phrase we use to make it clear we're not joking around; that
something shouldn't be taken lightly. And for good reason -- few things
are as life-changing or invoke more fear than a heart attack. Heart
disease is the No. 1 cause of death in America, and a heart attack is
often the first signal that the heart is sick. Heart attacks kill more than 120,000 people annually in the United States. But, each year, another 635,000 people survive them.
For
those surviving a heart attack, there is often little time to think
about the diagnosis in the hospital and how it may change your life
going forward -- you undergo a quick series of tests and procedures to
preserve and protect your heart, and then you're home. It's really only
after discharge that you feel the weight of living with this new
diagnosis. It is very easy to let it make you feel limited -- but it
doesn't have to.
There
are many eager helpers to lead you toward recovery. Your clinical care
team will work hard to get you on the right medications at the right
doses to heal your heart. And by asking the right questions, you can
help get yourself on the path toward getting back the parts of your life
that are most important to you.
As a cardiologist,
there are five post-heart attack questions I try to help my patients
answer. By asking these questions, you can help your cardiologist help
you on the road to recovery:
1. How can I get back to doing what I love?
There's an enduring myth that people who've had a heart attack
need to fundamentally reduce the activity they do forever. This myth
probably comes from a time when we had little to offer patients other
than bed rest. Now, with excellent medications and early stenting,
activity is an important part of the heart's recovery. Of course, you
can't run a marathon right away. But you can slowly work toward whatever
activity (running, biking or even gardening) gives you pleasure. What's
important here is to tell your doctor what those things are, so we're
all working toward the same goals.
2. Can I still eat an occasional doughnut or slice of pizza, or drink a beer once in a while?
There
are many bad eating habits that contribute to heart disease, and a part
of the recovery process after a cardiac event will be adjusting your
diet to focus on fruits and vegetables and away from foods high in fat
or salt. But the change in diet
is forever, so it should not be so restrictive that it's unsustainable.
I tell my patients that they should identify a time once a week for a
"guilty pleasure." For some, it's a slice of pizza on Sunday. For
others, it's an extra glass of wine with dinner on Friday night.
Whatever your guilty pleasure, giving yourself the opportunity to enjoy
it at a rare interval may help keep your diet in check over the long
term. Of course, every clinical situation is different, which is why it
is important to ask your doctor what guilty pleasures are safe for you.
3. What can my family, friends and colleagues do to help?
The
village that supports us when we are sick is remarkable. Family
members, neighbors and colleagues all want to help you get better.
Helping them identify specific ways to contribute to your recovery will
go a long way toward your well-being -- and theirs.
In general, I suggest three roles for your support group:
First,
they should keep you honest. A healthier diet is extremely important,
especially in the early phases after a heart attack. Changing habits is
hard. Having the help of the people you eat with can make it much
easier.
Second,
they should keep you moving. Exercise helps the heart recover after a
heart attack. Some even consider it as important as the medications you
take to protect your heart. Keeping you motivated to move is a critical
role.
Third,
they should watch for the signs of depression. More than half of
patients who have a heart attack will have some amount of depression
in the three to six months after the event. It can be hard to see in
yourself, but the people who see you every day may notice something. And
if we notice it, we can treat it.
4. When can I travel?
Nothing makes us want to see the world more than being faced with the idea that we are not invincible. Most cardiologists
will recommend you avoid air travel for about two weeks after receiving
a stent. However, individual clinical situations and travel plans are
so varied that it's impossible to give a one-size-fits-all response. A
candid conversation with your cardiologist about the places you want to
go and ways you hope to get there can help you understand the relative
risks for you. In most cases, this conversation will result in more
travel with less anxiety.
5. What can I expect long term?
Understanding
the roadmap to recovery will help you set your expectations. Your
specific health status and expectations will drive a personal roadmap.
Discussing how often you should see your doctor; what check-ins are
appropriate for email, phone or video; whether periodic testing is
useful; and what is a reasonable expectation for your quality of life is
critical to understanding your condition. And the better you understand
your condition, the easier it is to get back to living your life.
The
ultimate goal is to prevent heart attacks.(In stroke there are two ultimate goals, prevention and 100% recovery) But once they do happen,
knowing what to ask is the first step to preventing a second one. Check
with your doctor or visit the American Heart Association's website for more about life after a heart attack and how to connect with resources to support your recovery.
Ameya
Kulkarni, MD, is a board-certified interventional cardiologist with the
Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group in the Washington, D.C., area. He
serves as the group's assistant chief of cardiology for the Northern
Virginia Service Area and is co-director of the Louise Olmstead Sands
Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory at Virginia Hospital Center. Dr.
Kulkarni has strong interests in the application of technology to
medicine and treating adults with congenital and structural heart
disease. He sees patients in the Kaiser Permanente Tysons Corner Medical
Center in McLean, Virginia.
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