Cardiac Rehabilitation What Is It And Who Needs It?
The heart is an incredibly durable muscle, capable of maintaining its rhythm despite significant abuse placed upon it
. Over time, however, myriad factors can take a collective toll. The muscle eventually begins to succumb, requiring surgical intervention. Circumstances that require surgery include coronary heart disease, heart attack, and valve repair.
Following heart surgery, the muscle is left in a weakened state. It must be rehabilitated to prevent further problems in the future. This is the goal of cardiac rehabilitation, a program designed to improve your heart's strength, and thus improve your overall health.
In this article, you'll learn some of the reasons doctors strongly recommend participation in a cardiac rehab program. We'll also describe what you can expect before starting rehab, and the objectives targeted by a typical program.
Reasons To Participate In Cardiac Rehabilitation
The main goal of rehab is to improve the health of your heart. For example, when you suffer a myocardial infarction, and undergo emergency surgery to restore blood flow, the heart muscle becomes severely weakened. In that state, you will be more susceptible to subsequent heart attacks. Cardiac rehabilitation seeks to minimize this risk.
In other cases, you may be exposed to certain risk factors that increase the chances you'll need a coronary artery bypass. These factors can include high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and smoking. Rehab can help you manage these challenges.
By strengthening your heart, cardiac rehabilitation will help you enjoy physical activities that may have been impossible prior to enrolling in the program. This ultimately leads to a higher quality of life following heart surgery.
Prior To Starting The Program
Once you decide to participate in rehab, a doctor or nurse will perform a full medical examination, starting with a medical history. This is done to evaluate your health. You will be asked several questions regarding heart-related problems you have experienced in the past. Current medications, lifestyle habits (e.g. smoking), and your family's history related to certain diseases, will also be discussed.
An electrocardiogram is done to assess the strength of your heart's beat and the regularity of its rhythm. This serves two purposes. First, it helps your doctor or rehab team identify any limitations that might pose problems during the program. Second, it provides a baseline so your doctor can monitor your progress.
Once your cardiac rehab team is familiar with your condition, the program can begin. There are four main focuses.
4 Focuses Of A Cardiac Rehab Program
Much of the program is focused on physical activity with the goal of strengthening your heart, improving your stamina, and minimizing the risk of future heart problems. This is accomplished with aerobic exercises several times each week, and lifting weights a few times throughout the week. Most of these exercises will be done at the rehabilitation facility. As you progress through the program, you'll be encouraged to perform some of them at home.
Another focus is on your diet. Since high cholesterol levels, consumption of trans fats, and obesity, contribute to heart problems, your doctor or nurse may suggest changes.
Your cardiac rehabilitation team will also help you manage any risk factors from which you suffer. Obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure can lead to heart disease. Your doctor and nurse will help your manage these challenges, and minimize their influence on your health.
It is common for patients who undergo heart surgery or experience a myocardial infarction to deal with emotional issues following the event. Depression, sadness, and even anger at their situation can set in, and make recovery more difficult. Hence, cardiac rehab focuses on addressing these issues, and helping patients resolve them. This is usually done through counseling with a professionally trained mental health expert.
If you have undergone heart surgery, ask your doctor whether cardiac rehabilitation will help. He or she will likely recommend it since it can play a key role in accelerating your recovery.
by:Thomas Cauldren
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