What Should Your Loved One Do Following A Heart Attack?

Posted: 8/14/2017 8:25 AM by Interim HealthCare

Having had one heart attack is a scary proposition and it can make your loved one worry about the possibility of having a second one. Following some of these tips can help your loved one to reduce the risk that she might have a second heart attack.

Follow Her Doctor's Advice
Your loved one's doctor and possibly her cardiologist are going to have recommendations and advice for her after her first heart attack. She may even have medications that she needs to take now. Failing to follow that advice or to take her medication can put your loved one at risk for a second heart attack. Set up a system that helps you and your loved one remember to take her medication.

Engage in a Cardiac Rehab Program
Cardiac rehabilitation is a program specifically for people just like your loved one who have experienced heart attacks or cardiovascular ailments. Working with the cardiac rehab program can help your loved one to learn about techniques and solutions that can help her to live a full and healthy life after her heart attack. She'll learn about exercises she can do and foods she can eat.

Keep Other Health Problems in Check
If your loved one has other health problems, such as high blood pressure or if she's a smoker, then she'll need to keep those health problems under control in order to reduce her risk of another heart attack. Talk with your loved one's doctor about ways to manage those health issues so that she can keep herself as healthy as possible.

Join a Support Group
Other people who have lived through a heart attack can also help your loved one to learn so much about her own life after a heart attack. If your loved one is anxious about driving or uncomfortable going alone, go with her. If that's not possible, consider hiring elder care providers who can help with both transportation and companionship for these important meetings.

Just because your loved one has had one heart attack, that doesn't automatically mean she'll have another one. How she manages her risk factors can help her keep another at bay.

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What Should Your Loved One Do Following A Heart Attack?