RECOVERING FROM A HEART ATTACK
Monday, January 31st, 2011
RECOVERING FROM A HEART ATTACKSome people are fortunate in having very small areas of muscle death as a result of a myocardial infarct. These individuals heal their hearts more rapidly and may have practically no decrease in their original cardiac reserve. They may be able to return rather quickly to their former work without any significant evidence that they were ill. This is a story with a happy ending. But even these people should have a good evaluation of their total physical and emotional situation in order to discover any factors that may be modified to attempt to prevent future myocardial infarcts. One infarct provides evidence that atherosclerosis exists in the coronary arteries. Although there may have been only one diseased area in the arteries, there probably are more potential areas of trouble and additional myocardial infarcts will result in the death of more heart tissue.Doctors try very hard to avoid making their patients “cardiac cripples.” These are people who have survived a heart attack but who are terrified of a subsequent attack. In extreme cases they withdraw from their work and any form of physical or emotional stress. They are literally waiting around to die and fearing that they will.In summary, then, if you have recovered from a heart attack, use a rational approach to your situation. In the vast majority of cases there is something constructive that you can do to improve your general health and to prevent further heart trouble. If your doctor advises that you quit smoking, lose weight, stick to a low cholesterol diet, take medicine for high blood pressure, and exercise regularly – do it. You may very well end up being a stronger, healthier, and happier individual than you were before your heart attack. Don’t sit around and wait for the world to end.*15/309/5*
