If you have recently survived a heart attack, it may take time before you go back to your daily routine. You need to take some rest and make lifestyle changes to allow yourself to completely heal and recover. You may also need to ask for assistance during this time. To guide you on your journey to recovery, here are some tips to help you.
Eat healthy food
Having a healthy diet helps to prevent you from getting cardiovascular diseases. As such, you must avoid eating food that has a high fat, sugar or sodium content. Eating high cholesterol food can cause the build-up of plaque in your arteries, which increases your risk of having a heart attack or stroke. Make sure you have vegetables and fruits in your daily diet and control the number of servings you eat.
Take your medicines
After a heart attack, your doctor will probably give you different medications. Do not hesitate to ask your doctor about the benefits and the possible side effects. Take your medicine as directed and try not to miss a dose. These will help treat and control your symptoms.
Quit smoking
One of the most important things that you have to do is to quit smoking and to encourage people in your home to do the same. Tobacco is a major risk factor for heart-related diseases as it damages most of your organs. The nicotine it contains can also increase your blood pressure. You can improve your health immensely by quitting smoking.
Cardiac rehabilitation
Ask your doctor if they can refer you to an outpatient rehabilitation programme. Cardiac rehabilitation can speed up your recovery by taking part in activities that can improve your heart function, such as physical exercise. Doing this can lower the risk of having further health problems.
Ask for support
For the first few weeks of your recovery, ask someone to watch over you. If you live alone, consider getting help from family members or from a home care agency. Home care staff can attend to your needs such as doing domestic duties, helping you with personal care and assisting you in taking your medication. Having someone to support you can make your recovery smoother and faster.
Caremark offers 24/7 homecare support for people who require assistance on a daily basis whilst living in their own home. For over 25 years, we have an enviable reputation for providing excellent home care. We aim to maintain uncompromisingly high standards of commitment to serve our clients in a caring, friendly and professional way. For your Home Care needs, please feel free to reach us on 1800 844414 or at info@caremark.ie.
