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There is very little that puts more trepidation into the minds of our patients than the prospect of a heart attack. We even use the term to describe some of the most dramatic goings-on in our lives. To be sure, with heart disease being the leading killer of adults in the United States, we should be very concerned about our cardiovascular health, especially if we have any of the risk factors of heart disease.
For those who have experienced a heart attack and are now recovering, there is the sometimes inaccurate conception that their life as they knew it is now over. But this is not necessarily true. So, let’s delve into what exactly a heart attack is and what recovery from one looks like. A heart attack occurs when the heart no longer receives enough nutritious oxygenated blood, usually because of plaque buildup in the coronary arteries – this is known as atherosclerosis. Most heart attacks are preceded by chest pain or angina but can occur without warning. Much like other organs and structures in our body, if the oxygen and blood supply are cut off long enough, tissue begins to die or is rendered disabled. And this is precisely what happens after a heart attack. Parts of the heart will not function as they once did, and the overall strength of the heart muscle is diminished.
Because of this, many patients believe that they need to severely limit their activity level to keep their remaining heart strength. However, this may only weaken the heart further, as the heart is a muscle that needs to be exercised appropriately. It is worth mentioning that after a heart attack, you should follow your cardiologist’s recommendations very closely, as there are activities and strain levels that may need to be avoided for some time or permanently after a heart attack.
What You Should Do After a Heart Attack
Even if you’ve had a mild heart attack, it should serve as a wake-up call to improve your lifestyle, and this begins with your diet and exercise, starting with light exercise about ten days after the event. Losing excess weight is of paramount importance and should be one of the priorities you pursue after your heart attack. This can be achieved by limiting calories through a proper diet and burning calories through the exercises your cardiologist has cleared you to do.
Take a deep look at your lifestyle habits. Lifestyle is also an essential part of continued health. Reducing stress, eliminating alcohol, and stopping smoking are three keys to giving your body the ability to recover after such a traumatic event.
Focus On Your Brain
Recent research has led us to believe that the trauma of a heart attack can speed up the onset of cognitive impairment. You can counter that by keeping your brain sharp with puzzles, reading, and proper diet and exercise programs. Don’t confine yourself at home, worried and stressing about your heart. Instead, interact with others and enjoy the activities you want within reason and the bounds of your cardiologist’s instructions.
Don’t Be a Hero
You will now likely have some limitations, especially in the early days after your heart attack. This is not the time to over-exert yourself or push your recovery too quickly. Moving on to the next phase of your recovery before you finish the one before is always tempting. Avoid that temptation. Instead, keep your appointment with your cardiologist, follow your recovery plan closely, and enlist the help of your family and friends to ensure your recovery progresses as smoothly as possible.
Bottom Line
If you decide that life will never be as it once was, you are depriving yourself of an immeasurable quality of life, and you may even be doing your heart a disservice. Instead, focus on living life entirely within what your cardiologist allows you to do. A clear mind and a healthy lifestyle can return you to new heights even after a heart attack.
As always, we encourage you to contact us and schedule a consultation if you have any concerns about your post-heart attack lifestyle. We encourage our patients to communicate their fears and concerns openly and are happy to address them comprehensively.
