What to do with a man at home after a heart attack. Insomnia is dangerous after a myocardial infarction. What it is

A heart attack is one of the most serious pathologies. This disease can be considered a kind of boundary that divides life into two parts: before and after an attack. Therefore, it is so important to organize the correct rehabilitation period after a heart attack.

After all, a properly selected health recovery program will help maintain an acceptable quality of life for a person, and will also minimize the likelihood of a repeated process. The latter circumstance probably plays a primary role in this process.

Life after a heart attack differs from the usual way of life in that even with a favorable set of circumstances, the risk of sudden death is incredibly high.

But this does not mean at all that a person should doomedly wait for a fatal outcome. On the contrary, if the patient directs all efforts to the process of restoring health and strictly follows all medical recommendations, this will increase his chances for a long life and its good quality.

Conditions for full recovery

The result of the recovery stage after a heart attack depends on many factors: the age of the patient, the nature of the disease itself, and the extent of the affected area are important. With a heart attack, damage to the tissues of the heart muscle occurs, and then a scar forms at this place. Such a formation disrupts the normal nutrition of tissues and subsequently leads to arrhythmias and other complications.

If the parameters of the scar are small, then the normal blood supply is compensated by neighboring healthy areas. With a large scar, it is very difficult to restore the normal functioning of the organ, and often it is simply impossible.

Therefore, the rehabilitation of patients who have had a heart attack, consists of a whole range of activities. Particular attention during this crucial period is paid to the lifestyle, because the further forecast often depends on habits. Neglect of the rules that are prescribed for patients in this category often leads to repeated heart attacks.

Moreover, most relapses occur precisely at the recovery stage, or shortly after it. To minimize the likelihood of complications, the patient must behave as advised by the doctor.

Only under the condition of a trusting relationship between the patient and medical workers can a good result be expected. The sick person should be interested in the result of the process and cooperate with the medical staff. If such an understanding is not achieved, then all the efforts of professionals will be in vain.


The main goals of the recovery period

Restoring health lost as a result of a heart attack is an extremely difficult task. Indeed, it is not easy for any person to change the situation, but it is especially difficult to change the habitual way of life for men, who are more conservative than women.

Many patients in the early stages are under medical supervision. Patients with a milder form of the disease and a favorable course are discharged home. But both categories of people need information on how to properly organize their daily routine, what should be abandoned, and what, on the contrary, should be made the main rule of a new life. Such knowledge is necessary for people to fully adapt after a heart attack.


If you remove secondary factors, then the main points in the recovery period will be:

  • A balanced diet aimed at a smooth decrease in body weight if overweight or obesity is noted.
  • Regular monitoring of blood pressure indicators.
  • Mandatory monitoring of glucose and cholesterol levels.
  • The daily routine should be built in such a way as to prevent chronic fatigue.
  • Stressful situations should be avoided at all costs.
  • Physical activity should be dosed.
  • Therapeutic gymnastics must be included in the complex of rehabilitation measures.
  • Psychological assistance will help the patient adequately respond to changing life situations.


Important point! Physical activity for patients who have had a heart attack should be determined by the doctor, based on the severity of the patient's condition. All classes begin with minimal activity, and the load increases gradually.

What category of patients needs rehabilitation

Life after a heart attack for many patients is built according to the classical principle: inpatient treatment, then stay in a sanatorium, and only then, under favorable circumstances, does the person return to work.

For some patients, work becomes impossible, and they receive a disability group.

But often a heart attack in a person is detected quite by accident during the medical examination. Such latent forms of the disease are no less dangerous than the acute course of the disease. For asymptomatic variants of MI, it is characteristic that a small lesion is formed as a result.

Such a course of the process usually does not manifest itself clinically, only later on the ECG a cicatricial change in the heart is detected.


There are other options for a heart attack, which also give a non-specific clinical picture for this pathology. Such factors make it impossible to timely diagnose the disease.

Therefore, it is very important that the patient immediately consult a doctor if the state of health worsens, expressed by such signs:

  • constant weakness,
  • lowering blood pressure,
  • moderate tachycardia,
  • sweating more than usual
  • increase in temperature background to subfebrile values ​​(37 -37.5).


Such atypical forms can cause no less serious damage to health than one has to observe after an extensive heart attack. Because even a small scar on the heart tissue in case of repeated MI will significantly worsen the course of the process.

The consequences of latent and mild forms of the disease are:

  • weak contractile function of the myocardium,
  • hypotension,
  • aneurysm formation,
  • thromboembolism,
  • pericarditis (inflammation of the outer lining of the heart).

Special attention! Atypical forms of a heart attack need exactly the same rehabilitation methods that are carried out after an acute attack.

The initial stage of recovery

A favorable prognosis for patients who have had a heart attack depends largely on the start of the recovery phase. That is why it is so important to carry out the rehabilitation period as early as possible.

Of course, such measures should be carried out taking into account the condition of the patient himself and the degree of damage to the heart muscle.

In the first days, that is, at the hospital stage, the following active loads are allowed:

  • With an average severity of the process, you can start exercising already for 2-3 days. In severe MI, this is possible only after a week.
  • Approximately for 4-5 days, the patient is allowed to sit on the bed for several minutes with his legs down.
  • If the patient's condition does not cause concern, then after a week he is already allowed to take a few steps near his bed.
  • The patient is allowed to move freely around the ward two weeks after the attack.
  • If the condition of the ward is satisfactory, the exercise therapy instructor may, in the third week of the hospital period, allow him to go out into the corridor and even master several steps of the stairs.
  • Every day the distance of walks gradually increases.


During this especially critical period, a patient with a heart attack should not be left alone. Next to him must be relatives or one of the medical staff.

To assess the patient's condition, it is necessary to measure blood pressure and pulse rate before and after exercise. If necessary, an electrocardiogram should be done. If the measurement data indicate a negative change in the patient's condition, then physical activity is reduced.

In the normal course of the recovery process, a person is sent for further rehabilitation to a sanatorium or a specialized cardio center. And only after that the doctor paints the patient with detailed instructions for carrying out activities at home.


Conditions for home rehabilitation

Patients of types 1 and 2 are transferred to this recovery stage after a sanatorium rehabilitation course. Together with drug treatment, an individual program for restoring physical activity is prescribed.

Much attention is paid to the lifestyle that a person must adhere to after a heart attack.

When drawing up a program, the doctor must note such points as:

  • proper diet,
  • daily walks,
  • proper sleep and rest,
  • regular physical activity,
  • complete exclusion of bad habits.


All physical activities are carried out with mandatory monitoring of blood pressure and heart rate. A special set of exercises is carried out according to a pre-arranged schedule several times a week. Classes are held in a sparing mode under the guidance of an exercise therapy instructor.

Important! The patient at this time should not forget about self-control, he should correctly alternate loads with pauses for rest.

Psychological help

Any disease- this is stress for the whole organism, which negatively affects the psychological state of the patient. Often a person after a heart attack experiences depression, which he cannot cope on his own.

That is why it is so important to support such people. The help of loved ones will help to quickly cope with the problem, get used to the new living conditions.

This moment should not be overlooked, and if the emotional state of a person is alarming, you should definitely seek help from a specialist. The psychotherapist will give the necessary recommendations that will help stabilize the situation and prevent the development of serious neurosis and pathological personality changes.


Disadaptation of a neurotic nature can be determined by the following signs:

  • increased irritability,
  • frequent mood swings
  • sleep disorder,
  • phobias (fear of the patient even for a short time to be alone).

Often the patient is deeply "immersed" in the disease and requires relatives to call an ambulance even when there is no reason for this. Such patients also cause a lot of trouble for doctors, because they constantly require increased attention and additional treatment.


Ways to solve "special" problems

In men of mature age, who do not have a decrease in sexual activity, after suffering a myocardial infarction, the question always arises about their future sexual life. Constantly thinking about it only exacerbates the situation.

Meanwhile, intimate life after a heart attack is not prohibited. On the contrary, it is even shown, as it evokes positive emotions. But even here a reasonable measure is needed. If there are problems in this matter, it is necessary to inform the doctor about them. Additional treatment will help correct the situation.

To prevent mental disorders in post-infarction patients, special schools have been created on the basis of many medical institutions.

In such centers, relatives and patients themselves can receive advice on issues of concern to them. Professional support will help a person quickly adapt and return to work.


Limitations that cannot be avoided

Myocardial infarction belongs to the category of diseases that significantly affect the work of other organs and systems. Therefore, it is so important to direct all efforts to ensure that the aggravation of the process does not happen again.

Together with other pathologies that are in the history of a particular patient, this diagnosis requires fundamental changes in his lifestyle. Such restrictions are necessary to at least minimize the risk of a second heart attack.

The table below shows what not to do after a MI:

Area of ​​life Restrictions
1. Physical activity It is not necessary to bring down on the body such loads that can provoke an increase in contractions of the heart muscle. After MI, this is extremely dangerous, as an aneurysm may develop. Physical activity during this period should be dosed. The best option is exercise therapy, walking with a pedometer, aerobic exercise.
2. Food Avoid fried and fatty foods. High-calorie foods should be removed from the diet in order to prevent weight gain. Salt should be limited, and spices should be completely eliminated.
3. Emotional condition Any situations that provoke emotional instability should be avoided. Irritability, excitement, fears and worries increase the number of heart contractions.
4. habits Alcohol and nicotine should be completely eliminated. These are the main risk factors for recurrent MI.
5. climate change In this area, abrupt changes are undesirable, as they can negatively affect the patient's well-being.

Important point! It is strictly forbidden for the patient and relatives to change or supplement drug treatment and other items of the recovery program. Any "amateur" in this matter can lead to unpredictable consequences.

People who have had a heart attack should understand that the duration and quality of their future life depends entirely on how they can adapt to new conditions.

That is, all the required changes will not be temporary, but permanent. In principle, this is not difficult if a person can tune himself in a positive way.

Subject to the small restrictions mentioned above, and a few useful recommendations, you can actively live and work for many years after MI.

Experts advise to adhere to the following rules:

  • Food. The diet should be rich in vitamins and vital minerals. It is best to build food on vegetable dishes, dietary meats, cereals, lean fish. Fresh vegetables and fruits, greens must be present in the daily menu.
  • Physical activity. Muscles should not suffer from a lack of exercise even after a heart attack. Therefore, physical activity in moderation will only benefit. Walking at an unhurried pace has a good effect on muscle tone, yoga is good for breathing, and, therefore, improves the supply of oxygen to the blood. Types of physical activity should always be discussed with your doctor.
  • Regular visits to the doctor should also be among the main rules of the new lifestyle. This will allow the specialist to monitor the vital signs of the heart (BP, ECG) and timely identify any deviations. In addition to these parameters, the doctor should also evaluate the level of cholesterol and glucose in a post-infarction patient.

By adhering to these three points systematically, the patient will be able to avoid a second attack.


Forecast

myocardial infarction is a very insidious disease. According to statistics, it occupies a leading position among the most common causes of premature death. Therefore, there can be no unambiguous forecast here.

It all depends on a combination of factors:

  • Gender identity. For example, men are more susceptible to heart attack, even at a young age. And in a woman, this disease can appear only in the postmenopausal period. This factor is due to the fact that at fertile age estrogens (female sex hormone) block the development of atherosclerotic plaques, thereby preventing the development of a heart attack. But after 60 years, the risk of MI in the fairer sex increases dramatically.
  • Age. The same applies to the age of the patient: the older the person, the less favorable the prognosis. Indeed, in old age, people usually accumulate a whole “bouquet” of concomitant diseases, which greatly complicates the recovery stage. In addition, it is very difficult for elderly people to rebuild and change their life position. It is especially difficult for them to part with harmful addictions, although this is a prerequisite for a positive prognosis.
  • Job. There are also many questions regarding employment. The occupation itself, which a person performed before the illness, is very important. If his labor activity is connected with the performance of hard, physically costly work, then he will have to change his occupation.


It is especially difficult to make predictions for patients who have had a massive heart attack, since they are very likely to have a second attack.

Therefore, it is impossible to talk about life expectancy after MI as a specific period. Some people live to a ripe old age without a disability, while others die within the first year. As previously noted, it all depends on the individual characteristics of the person and the form of the disease.

Also, one should not believe the prevailing opinion that a person is able to endure a certain number of heart attacks. This is not entirely true. Often the first case of a heart attack is fatal for a person.


Preventive actions

Myocardial infarction can be avoided if:

  • Timely deal with cardiovascular problems.
  • Eat properly.
  • Adhere to the regime of the day, alternating rest with loads.
  • Sleep well.
  • Eliminate habits that are not compatible with a healthy lifestyle.
  • Control your weight.
  • Maintain physical activity.

Life after a heart attack will be full if the patient himself strives for this. But a lot depends on the people who are next to the person. A favorable atmosphere, attention and care of close relatives, understanding of friends - all this can positively influence the prognosis.

Many disorders in the activity of the heart and blood vessels can cause serious health problems. Some of them are even capable of significantly disrupting a person’s ability to move, eat and communicate independently, and in certain cases even provoke a fatal outcome. One of the fairly common and at the same time very dangerous conditions of this type is myocardial infarction. Let's talk on www.site about what myocardial infarction is, rehabilitation at home for a patient with such a diagnosis, how it is carried out and what contraindications exist for such a disease.

Myocardial infarction is the clinical condition of a patient that develops due to necrosis of a separate section of the heart muscle. Necrosis in this case is provoked by a violation of the blood supply. In most cases, a heart attack develops as a result of blockage of a lumen in a coronary artery by a thrombus.

About what can not be done after myocardial infarction has "taken place" (contraindications)

The main contraindication for the development of a heart attack is various physical and neuropsychic stresses. The patient should be longer in a state of complete rest and adhere to bed rest. He needs to limit active movements. In the event that the patient is worried about shortness of breath, he should not take a lying position, it is better to give preference to an elevated one.

Also, for the first time after a myocardial infarction, it is contraindicated to go to a sanatorium-and-spa treatment in order to prevent serious consequences.

If a heart attack has just developed, then it is extremely important to transport the patient to the hospital correctly. Transportation should be carried out only in the prone position, because all physical efforts can cause the development of unwanted and irreversible processes. A serious contraindication to transportation is the presence of acute heart failure or a state of shock in a patient. The first step is to correct these violations, then carry out the transportation with extreme caution. Sanitary treatment at the stage of admission to the hospital department is also contraindicated for such patients.

There are also a number of contraindications that relate to medical manipulations. So for patients who have had a heart attack, the drug "Mannitol" is contraindicated if the patient has renal failure, severe second or third degree, dehydration of the cellular sector, excessive bleeding, or intracranial hematomas. Coronary angiography is usually performed before surgical treatment. If the help of surgeons is not needed, then such a study is contraindicated.

Patients who have suffered a myocardial infarction and are at the intensive care stage are also contraindicated in physiotherapy exercises. Even minor physical activity can be very harmful if the patient has a pronounced arrhythmia, a temperature increase of more than thirty-eight degrees, as well as a decrease in blood pressure or heart failure.

A patient who has had a myocardial infarction is contraindicated in the consumption of products that contain various toxic elements that can adversely affect health. Animal fats, spicy, fried, smoked, salty and pickled foods should be excluded from the diet. Also, doctors strongly advise to reduce the amount of sugar consumed and foods containing cholesterol.

At the stage of recovery after a heart attack, you also need to give up active physical work, for example, work in a summer cottage.

Rehabilitation after myocardial infarction at home

In addition to the fact that the patient should take all the medicinal formulations prescribed by the doctor, it is also important to adhere to certain recommendations aimed at rehabilitation after myocardial infarction. An extremely important role is played by the stabilization of the emotional background, because the patient will receive a lot of information about the risks, the likelihood of relapse and death.

Such facts often cause a depressive state, become the cause of constant stress, as well as nervous tension. Accordingly, the likelihood of relapse only increases. To optimize the emotional background, the support of loved ones is important, sedatives prescribed by the doctor can also be taken. You may also need to consult a psychologist.

Physical rehabilitation involves the systematic implementation of special exercise therapy exercises. First, they should be learned in a specialized center, and then done at home.

For successful rehabilitation, it is also extremely important to completely abandon bad habits, adhere to dietary nutrition, monitor blood pressure, body weight and blood sugar levels. The intake of acetylsalicylic acid, which can prevent the development of thrombosis, is shown.

Also at home, herbal medicines can be used, for example, medicines based on hawthorn (fruits), corn stigmas, mountain arnica, medicinal calendula, etc. You can prepare medicines from these herbs on your own, including combining ingredients with each other. Also, some preparations based on them can be purchased at the pharmacy.

Recovery after a myocardial infarction is a long and rather complicated process. Nevertheless, following all the recommendations of the doctor helps to normalize the activity of the body.

Modern patients are quite literate and in the vast majority of cases seek to cooperate with the doctor, especially after suffering life-threatening conditions. Patients who treated their health lightly, after suffering or often reconsider their lifestyle, diet, eradicate some not very good habits in order to prevent the recurrence of acute cardiovascular pathology.

Rehabilitation after myocardial infarction is a very important set of measures that prevents extreme situations and is aimed at organizing proper nutrition, activity and rest, sanatorium treatment and drug prevention after discharge from a cardiological hospital. The interest of the patient in this case is very important, since even the most valuable recommendations of medicine will be ineffective if the person himself does not fulfill them day by day with understanding, purposefully and responsibly.

Myocardial infarction that came suddenly

A person lives for himself, as he knows how and is accustomed to, one considers himself healthy, the other is slowly struggling. And suddenly, one not quite perfect day, a sharp pain in the region of the heart stops the usual course of events. “People in white coats”, a siren, hospital walls… It’s too early to talk about the outcome at such a moment, each case is special, depending on the degree of damage to the heart muscle, on the complications and consequences that cardiologists, patients and their relatives are so afraid of.

The severe course of a heart attack with pulmonary edema and other complications requires immediate hospitalization, resuscitation and a long period of rehabilitation with the prevention of all possible consequences of a heart attack:

Some believe that there is a certain number of heart attacks that a person can endure. Of course, this is not the case, since the first heart attack can be so severe that it will be the last. Or small-focal heart attacks, not so formidable at the time of their development, but giving serious long-term consequences. This indicator can be considered individual, but in most cases, the last is the third heart attack therefore, patients, even with past scars on the heart (accidentally registered), are not recommended to tempt fate.

It is also impossible to unequivocally answer how many people live after a heart attack, because the first one can be fatal. In other cases, a person can live 20 years after MI with a full life without disability.. All this depends on how the MI affected the hemodynamic system, what complications and consequences were or were not, and, of course, on what lifestyle the patient leads, how he fights the disease, what preventive measures he takes.

First steps after a heart attack: from bed to stairs

Important aspects of the complex treatment of myocardial infarction include rehabilitation, which includes a number of medical and social measures aimed at restoring health and, if possible, working capacity. Early physiotherapy exercises help a person return to physical activity, however, exercise therapy can only be started with the permission of a doctor and depending on the patient's condition and the degree of myocardial damage:

  • The average severity allows you to start exercising literally for 2-3 days, while in severe cases you need to wait a week. Thus, exercise therapy begins already at the hospital stage under the supervision of a physiotherapy instructor;
  • From about 4-5 days, the patient can sit on the bed for some time, hanging his legs;
  • From day 7, if everything goes well, without complications, you can take a few steps near your bed;
  • After two weeks, you can walk around the ward, if allowed by the doctor;
  • The patient is under constant control and can only go out into the corridor from the 3rd week of stay, and if the condition allows, the instructor will help him master several steps of the stairs;
  • The distance traveled increases gradually and after a while the patient overcomes a distance of 500-1000 meters without being alone. A health worker or one of the relatives is nearby to monitor the patient's condition, which is assessed by heart rate and. In order for these indicators to be reliable, half an hour before the walk and half an hour after it, the patient's blood pressure is measured and an ECG is taken. With deviations indicating a deterioration in the patient's condition, physical activity is reduced for the patient.

If everything goes well for a person, he can be transferred for rehabilitation after a myocardial infarction to a suburban specialized cardiological sanatorium, where, under the supervision of specialists, he will engage in physical therapy, take measured walks (5-7 km daily), receive dietary food and take medical treatment. In addition, to strengthen faith in a successful outcome and good prospects for the future, a psychologist or psychotherapist will work with the patient.

it the classic version of the whole complex of treatment: heart attack - hospital - sanatorium - return to workudu or disability group. However, there are heart attacks detected during examination of a person, for example, in the case of a physical examination. Such people also need treatment and rehabilitation, and even more in prevention. Where do these heart attacks come from? To answer this question, it is necessary to digress somewhat from the topic and briefly describe the options for heart attacks that can pass by the hospital and by the cardiologist.

Few symptoms, poor prognosis

Asymptomatic and asymptomatic variants of MI, more typical of small-focal infarction, are a special and rather serious problem. The asymptomatic form is characterized by the complete absence of pain and other symptoms of any kind, therefore MI is detected later and by chance (on the ECG - a scar on the heart).

Other variants of a heart attack, which have an extremely poor non-specific clinical picture, also often cause a belated diagnosis. It is good if those few signs characteristic of many diseases alert the patient, and he should consult a doctor:

  1. Moderate;
  2. Weakness with sweating, more than usual;
  3. Decreased blood pressure;
  4. A short-term increase in temperature to subfebrile.

In general, the patient can evaluate his condition as “something is wrong”, but do not go to the clinic.

Such forms of MI most often lead to the fact that the patient does not go anywhere, does not receive medical treatment, and the restrictions inherent in such a pathology do not apply to him. After the time has elapsed, the state of a person when taking an electrocardiogram will begin to qualify as a heart attack on the legs, which, however, does not pass without complications, albeit somewhat delayed. The consequences of such variants of IM are:

  • A scar that will disrupt the normal structure of the heart muscle, which will aggravate the course of the pathological process in the event of a repeated heart attack;
  • Weakening of the contractile function of the myocardium and, as a result, low pressure;
  • Chronic heart failure;
  • Possibility of aneurysm formation;
  • Thromboembolism, because the patient has not received special treatment to reduce the formation of blood clots;
  • Pericarditis.

It should be said that the complications of heart attacks suffered on the legs are more pronounced than those treated in a hospital, since the person did not receive any preventive prescriptions, therefore, as soon as he becomes aware of the disease, the visit to the doctor can not be postponed. The sooner preventive measures are taken, the less consequences of a heart attack the patient will have.

Atypical manifestations of MI make it difficult to diagnose

It is difficult to judge that a person has had or has a heart attack in the presence of an atypical course of the disease. For example, it can sometimes be confused with gastrointestinal disorders, which is called abdominal syndrome. Of course, it is not surprising to suspect the pathology of the gastrointestinal tract with the following clinical manifestations:

  1. Intense pain in the epigastric region;
  2. Nausea with vomiting;
  3. Bloating and flatulence.

Even more confusing in such cases are certain painful sensations in the stomach during palpation and tension in the muscles of the abdominal wall, also accompanied by pain.

The cerebral form of myocardial infarction is so disguised as a stroke that even doctors find it difficult to quickly establish a diagnosis, especially since the ECG does not clarify the picture, since it is atypical and gives frequent "false positive" changes in dynamics. In general, how not to suspect a stroke if its signs are clearly visible:

  • Headache;
  • Dizziness;
  • memory disorders;
  • Motor and sensory disturbances.

Meanwhile, the combination of a heart attack and a stroke at the same time is not a very common phenomenon and, most likely, is unlikely, but possible. With large-focal transmural MI, it is often noted as a manifestation of thromboembolic syndrome. Naturally, such options must certainly be taken into account not only during the period of treatment, but also during rehabilitation.

Video: heart attack - how does it happen and is treated?

Diet - the first point of rehabilitation measures

The patient can get to the doctor in any postinfarction period. A detailed examination of people who have had a heart attack, it turns out that many of them have:

  1. Some degree of obesity;
  2. and violation of the lipid spectrum;
  3. Bad habits.

If smoking, the use of alcoholic beverages can somehow be banned (or persuaded?) And thus eliminate the negative effect of these factors on the body, then the fight against excess weight, hypercholesterolemia and arterial hypertension is not a matter of one day. However, it has long been noticed and scientifically proven that it can help in all cases at the same time. Some force events so much that they try to reduce body weight as soon as possible, which will not bring any benefit, and it will be difficult to maintain the result. 3-5 kg ​​per month is the best option, in which the body will slowly but surely enter the new body and get used to it.

There are a great many different diets, but they all have common principles of construction, adopting which, you can already achieve significant success:

  • Reduce the calorie content of the food you eat;
  • Avoid eating carbohydrates in a bad mood (eating sweets, cakes, cakes - so sweet and tasty, it is very undesirable, so it’s better not to touch them at all);
  • Limit the consumption of fatty foods of animal origin;
  • Eliminate such favorite additions to main dishes as sauces, spicy appetizers, spices, which can well excite an already normal appetite;
  • Bring the amount of table salt to 5 g per day and do not exceed this level, even if something turns out to be not so tasty without it;
  • Drink no more than 1.5 liters of fluid per day;
  • Organize multiple meals so that the feeling of hunger does not haunt, and the stomach is full and does not remind you of hunger.

In people who are overweight, the diet after myocardial infarction should be aimed at reducing weight, which will reduce the load on the heart muscle. Here is an approximate one-day diet:

  1. First breakfast: cottage cheese - 100 g, coffee (weak) without sugar, but with milk - a glass of 200 ml;
  2. Second breakfast: 170 g of fresh cabbage salad dressed with sour cream, preferably without salt or with the minimum amount of it;
  3. Lunch consists of 200 ml of vegetarian cabbage soup, 90 g of boiled lean meat, 50 g of green peas and 100 g of apples;
  4. As an afternoon snack, you can eat 100 g of cottage cheese and drink it with 180 ml of rosehip broth;
  5. Evening meals are recommended to be limited to boiled fish (100 g) with vegetable stew (125 g);
  6. At night, you are allowed to drink 180 g of kefir and eat 150 g of rye bread.

This diet contains 1800 kcal. Of course, this is an approximate one-day menu, so nutrition after a heart attack is not limited to the listed products, but for patients with normal weight, the diet is significantly expanded. The diet after myocardial infarction, although it limits the intake of fats (animals) and carbohydrates (unrefined and refined), excludes them only under certain circumstances in order to give a person the opportunity to lose weight.

With patients without excess weight, everything is easier, they are given a diet with a daily calorie content of 2500-3000 kcal. The use of fats (animals) and carbohydrates (unrefined and refined) is limited. The daily diet is divided into 4-5 doses. In addition, the patient is recommended to spend fasting days. For example, one day, eat 1.5 kg of apples and nothing else. Or 2 kg of fresh cucumbers. If someone cannot live a day without meat, then 600 g of lean meat with a vegetable side dish (fresh cabbage, green peas) will also come down on a fasting day.

The expansion of the diet should also not be taken literally: if you can eat vegetables and fruits, lean meat and dairy products after a heart attack, in general, without restrictions, then it is not at all recommended to eat sweet confectionery, fatty sausages, smoked meats, fried and spicy dishes.

Alcohol, be it Armenian cognac or French wine, is not recommended for patients who have had a heart attack. We must not forget that any alcoholic drink causes an increase in heart rate (hence, tachycardia), and, besides this, it increases appetite, which the convalescent does not need at all, because this is an additional load, albeit food.

After discharge - to the sanatorium

The complex of rehabilitation measures depends on which functional class (1, 2, 3, 4) the patient belongs to, so the approach and methods will be different.

After discharge from the hospital, the patient assigned to 1 or 2 functional class, the next day calls a cardiologist at home, who draws up a plan for further rehabilitation measures. As a rule, the patient is assigned a 4-week observation of the medical staff in a cardiological sanatorium, where the patient himself does not need to worry about anything, he will only have to follow an approved program that provides, in addition to diet therapy:

  • Dosed physical activity;
  • Psychotherapeutic help;
  • Medical treatment.

Physical rehabilitation programs are based on a classification that includes the following categories:

  1. The severity of the patient's condition;
  2. Expression;
  3. The presence of complications, consequences and concomitant syndromes and diseases;
  4. The nature of the transferred infarction (transmural or non-transmural).

After determining individual tolerance to stress ( bicycle ergometric test), the patient receives optimal doses of physical training aimed at increasing the functionality of the myocardium and improving the nutrition of the heart muscle by stimulating metabolic processes in its cells.

Contraindications to the appointment of training are:

  • aneurysm of the heart;
  • Severe heart failure;
  • Species that respond to physical activity by exacerbating rhythm disturbance.

Physical training is carried out under the supervision of a specialist, they are aimed at preventing a recurrent heart attack, increasing life expectancy, but at the same time, they cannot prevent the onset of sudden death in the distant future.

In addition to dosed loads, physical rehabilitation after a heart attack includes such methods as physiotherapy exercises (gymnastics), massage, health path (metered walking).

However, speaking about the training of the patient, it should be noted that they do not always go smoothly. In the recovery period, the doctor and the patient may encounter certain symptom complexes characteristic of convalescents:

  1. Cardio-pain syndrome, to which are added, due to;
  2. Signs of heart failure, manifested by tachycardia, an increase in the size of the heart, shortness of breath, moist rales, hepatomegaly;
  3. The syndrome of general detraining of the patient's body (weakness, pain in the lower extremities when walking, decreased muscle strength, dizziness);
  4. Neurotic disorders, since patients, asking the question “How to live after a myocardial infarction?”, tend to fall into anxiety-depressive states, begin to fear for their family, and take any pain for a second heart attack. Of course, such patients need the help of a psychotherapist.

In addition, convalescents receive anticoagulant therapy to prevent the formation of blood clots, in order to normalize the lipid spectrum, antiarrhythmic drugs and other symptomatic treatment.

Rehabilitation in the clinic at the place of residence

Such rehabilitation is indicated only for patients with grades 1 and 2 after a 4-week stay in a sanatorium. The patient is carefully examined, which is recorded in his outpatient card, his progress in physical training, the level of working capacity (physical), and the reaction to drug treatment are also recorded there. In accordance with these indicators, the convalescent is prescribed an individual program for increasing physical activity, psychological rehabilitation and drug treatment, which includes:

  • Therapeutic exercises under the control of the pulse and electrocardiogram, carried out in the exercise therapy room 3 times a week in 4 modes (gentle, gentle training, training, intensive training);
  • Individually selected drug therapy;
  • Classes with a psychotherapist;
  • The fight against bad habits and other risk factors (obesity, arterial hypertension, etc.).

The patient does not leave daily workouts at home (hiking, preferably with a pedometer, gymnastics), but does not forget about self-control and alternates stress with rest.

Video: exercise therapy after a heart attack

Group of increased medical control

As for patients assigned to the 3rd and 4th functional class, their rehabilitation takes place according to a different program, the purpose of which is to provide such a level of physical activity that the patient can independently serve himself and do a small amount of homework, however, if he is qualified, the patient does not limited in intellectual work at home.

Such patients are at home, but under the supervision of a therapist and a cardiologist, all rehabilitation activities are also carried out at home, since the patient's condition does not allow high physical activity. The patient performs affordable work in everyday life, walks around the apartment from the second week after discharge, and from the third week begins to slowly engage in exercise therapy and walk for 1 hour in the yard. The doctor allows him to climb the stairs at a very slow pace and only within one march.

If before the illness, morning exercises for the patient were commonplace, then he is allowed to do it only from the fourth week and only 10 minutes (less is possible, more is not). In addition, the patient is allowed to climb to the 1st floor, but very slowly.

This group of patients requires both self-control and special medical supervision, since at any time at the slightest load there is a risk of an attack of angina pectoris, an increase in blood pressure, the appearance of severe tachycardia or a strong feeling of fatigue, which is the basis for reducing physical activity.

Patients of the 3rd and 4th functional classes also receive a complex of medicines, psychological support, massage and exercise therapy at home.

The psyche also needs to be rehabilitated.

A person, having experienced such a shock, cannot forget it for a long time, every now and then he puts before himself and other people the question of how to live after a myocardial infarction, believes that now everything is impossible for him, therefore he is prone to depressive moods. The patient's fears are completely natural and understandable, so a person needs psychological support and readaptation, although here everything is individual: some cope with the problem very quickly, adapt to new conditions, others sometimes even half a year is not enough to accept the changed situation. The task of psychotherapy is to prevent pathological changes in personality and the development of neurosis. Relatives may suspect neurotic maladjustment for the following signs:

  1. Irritability;
  2. Instability of mood (it seems to have calmed down, and after a short time again plunged into gloomy thoughts);
  3. Inadequate sleep;
  4. Phobias of various kinds (the patient listens to his heart, is afraid to be alone, does not go for a walk unaccompanied).

Hypochondriacal behavior is characterized by "flight into illness". The patient is sure that life after a heart attack is not life at all, the disease is incurable, that doctors do not notice everything, so he calls an ambulance with or without reason and requires additional examination and treatment.

A special group of patients are not yet old men who are sexually active before the disease. They worry and try to find out if sex is possible after a heart attack and if the disease has affected sexual functions, because they notice some disorders in themselves (reduced libido, spontaneous erections, sexual weakness). Of course, constant reflection on this issue and worries about your intimate life further exacerbate the situation and contribute to the development of the hypochondriacal syndrome.

Meanwhile, sex after a heart attack is not only possible, but also necessary, because it gives positive emotions, therefore, if there are problems in this regard, the patient is prescribed additional treatment (psychotherapy, autogenic training, psychopharmacological correction).

To prevent the development of mental disorders and prevent other consequences of a heart attack, special schools have been created for patients and their relatives that teach how to behave after an illness, how to adapt to a new situation and quickly return to work. The statement that work is considered the most important factor in successful mental rehabilitation is beyond doubt, therefore, the sooner the patient plunges into work, the sooner he will get back to his usual routine.

Employment or disability group

Patients of grades 3 and 4 will receive a disability group with a complete exclusion of physical activity, while patients of grades 1 and 2 are recognized as able-bodied, but with some restrictions (if necessary, they must be transferred to light work). There is a list of professions that are contraindicated after myocardial infarction. Of course, this primarily concerns hard physical labor, night shifts, daily and 12-hour shifts, work associated with psycho-emotional stress or requiring increased attention.

A special medical commission assists in finding employment and resolves all issues, which gets acquainted with the working conditions, studies the presence of residual effects and complications, as well as the likelihood of a risk of a second heart attack. Naturally, if there are contraindications to a particular work, the patient is employed in accordance with his capabilities or a disability group is assigned (depending on the condition).

After a heart attack, the patient is observed in the clinic at the place of residence with a diagnosis of post-infarction. He can receive sanatorium treatment (not to be confused with the sanatorium that is appointed after discharge!) He can in a year. And it is better if these are resorts with a climate familiar to the patient, since the sun, humidity and atmospheric pressure also affect cardiac activity, but not always positively.

Video: heart attack - effective recovery and prevention of re-

After a heart attack, a person's life changes dramatically, this is due to the many restrictions that the disease imposes. So, the patient is forced to reconsider the lifestyle and change old habits. The very arteries of the heart. This process leads to a stop of the full blood supply to the site of this important organ, and also leaves it without oxygen. "Hunger" after 30 minutes leads to cell death.

It is important to maintain a healthy lifestyle after a heart attack.

Medical statistics show that over the past few decades, there has been a rejuvenation of the disease. Therefore, doctors are not surprised when this insidious disease overtakes people under the age of 30 years. It is believed that women under 50 years of age are less prone to heart attack. Scientists explain this by the fact that the female vessels are protected from atherosclerosis, which is often the cause of a heart attack, by estrogen. But after the onset of menopause, an illness can suddenly develop. How long they live after a heart attack is not exactly known, but there is an average figure - from 1 to 20 years. Basically, life expectancy after myocardial infarction depends on the patient himself, namely on his lifestyle. Specific recommendations on how to live after a myocardial infarction will be given by the attending doctor, the article contains the most basic rules.

Life "after"

Often, people who have undergone this condition are worried about many questions. So, many are interested in:

  1. Is it possible to put mustard plasters. According to doctors, this procedure has certain limitations. They can not be used by pregnant women, breastfeeding, in the presence of tuberculosis, oncology and skin lesions. Also, a mustard remedy is forbidden to be placed in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe heart, feet, palms. Before using them, it is better to consult with your doctor.
  2. Is it possible to drive a car after a myocardial infarction. Many people cannot imagine their life without a car. Experts allow the opportunity to drive only if the trip is short and the distance is not too long.

It is also important for the driver to remember that driving is still dangerous, as a heart attack can happen again. And if this condition suddenly overtakes a person while driving, something irreparable can happen. That is why it is not safe for a person who has had a heart attack to drive, it can threaten the life of him and his passengers.


For these reasons, a ban is imposed on the work of a driver, since due to the ability to drive a vehicle only up to 1 - 1.5 hours a day, a person is recognized as not fully able-bodied.

  1. Is it possible to have sex after a heart attack. Medical workers do not prohibit intimacy, but rather advise, since positive emotions arise during this contact. It is noted that after that problems may appear - a decrease in desire, sexual weakness. The reasons may lie in the intake of certain medications prescribed after discharge. Against the background of problems in men, there is a risk of hypochondriacal syndrome, which will only aggravate the situation more. The excitement is in vain, because after a while everything will return to normal.
  2. Can you smoke after a heart attack? Relatives of the smoker, with his unwillingness to quit this addiction, should help him in this matter. The fact is that a smoker is more prone to a second heart attack. This is explained by the fact that during smoking, vasospasm occurs.
  3. Is it possible to use air services after a heart attack. Basically, if the patient has undergone rehabilitation, his heart muscle works without deviations, and a lot of time has passed after the disease, you can fly on an airplane. But before that, it is better to consult with your doctor and undergo an examination, get a prescription for medications that make it easier to fly on airplanes. According to experts, flying by air is not worth it for a person diagnosed with heart failure that cannot be corrected with medication. And also, people with arrhythmia, persistent arterial hypertension, and unstable angina do not need to fly on an airplane.


If the patient decides to go to the sea, he needs to remember what he can do on vacation. You should figure out what to do during the holidays. Doctors are allowed to swim, but only near the shore, you can not dive, sunbathe and be under the open scorching sun. The trip itself should be planned no earlier than six months later. Also, on vacation, the patient may be concerned about the question of whether it is possible to drink alcoholic beverages. All doctors agree that life after a heart attack and stenting implies a complete rejection of alcohol. If you drink alcohol to a person who has had an attack, much faster, which can lead to a second heart attack. It is also not recommended to drink kvass and coffee for the same reason. The disease also affects career. So, after an accident, as a result of pathological changes, many people will be forced to change their profession. This mainly concerns people who are faced with physical stress, and working under such conditions is now prohibited.

Sport

The heart needs constant training, which is why an active lifestyle after a heart attack is so important. The patient will be offered to perform moderate physical activity while still in the hospital. First, the patient should start exercise therapy, thanks to these exercises, the heart will be strengthened, blood circulation will normalize, and cholesterol levels will decrease. People who have had a seizure need to take up dynamic sports.


Suitable for cycling, skiing, walking, running. The most effective exercise in the fresh air. Do sports wisely, for this, do not sharply increase the load and monitor your heart rate. If a patient is diagnosed with a heart attack, he should not engage in strength training, as such sports load the heart muscle and increase blood pressure, which may result in complications. It is allowed to perform exercises with weights, women up to 5 kg., Men up to 20 kg. If during training shortness of breath, dizziness, pain in the heart area appear, you should stop exercising.

Food

It plays an important role after an attack. The patient needs to eat a balanced, varied diet every day. Surely, even in the hospital, the victim was informed that foods rich in cholesterol should not be consumed. This is due to the fact that mostly coronary heart disease is caused by high cholesterol levels. Under the ban falls fried, smoked food, contributing to the development of atherosclerosis. Adding the following products to the menu will help eliminate the risk of a second attack:

  • whole grain bread, cereals;
  • fruits up to 200 grams per day (banana, kiwi, pear, melon, apple, orange, plum);
  • legumes up to 400 grams per day;
  • lean meat and fish in moderation, seafood;
  • milk and dairy products, but only fat-free;
  • chicken protein and yolk weekly up to three times;
  • vegetable and olive oil.

It is important to limit the use of salt, chocolate. And to support the normal functioning of the heart muscle, add raisins, prunes, dried apricots to the diet.

Remember that life after a heart attack does not end, and it is in your power to make it full and rich.

Myocardial infarction is a condition when there is a blockage of the coronary heart muscle due to its narrowing or discharge of a blood clot, causing a complete stop of the blood supply to this organ. Life expectancy after a heart attack directly depends on the degree of damage to the heart muscle and the severity of harm to the entire body. The disease is characterized by the presence of scars, which exclude the possibility of the full functioning of the heart, and the necrotic area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe muscle loses its elasticity and strength.

Methods of rehabilitation after a heart attack

Recovery largely depends on proper rehabilitation:

  1. Stationary. Recovery takes place under the strict supervision of medical personnel in the cardiology department.
  2. Day hospital. The patient is rehabilitated by being in the hospital only during the daytime. Walks in the fresh air, trips home are allowed.
  3. Outpatient. With it, the patient undergoes recovery on his own, visiting a cardiologist at the clinic on the appointed days.

A heart attack is a pathological condition accompanied by tissue necrosis due to impaired blood supply to the body.

How long the rehabilitation will last depends on the place of its implementation. On average, with inpatient treatment and proper functioning of the left ventricle, the patient is discharged on the tenth day of his stay in it. The prognosis for the life of each patient is individual. So, with timely detection and treatment of the disease, a person can live a long life. It all depends on the general state of his health, and at what age this misfortune happened to him. Statistics show that younger people are much easier to endure heart failure and its consequences than older people.

Remember that surviving a heart attack means dividing life into “before” and “after”. Do not dramatize the situation too much, but simply reconsider your attitude to life, habits, do not forget about prevention and self-control.

Types of heart attack

Please note that depending on the focus of the muscle lesion, the disease is divided into:

  • small (small-focal), when changes in the work of the heart are observed in its individual sections;
  • extensive, it is characterized by damage to large sections of the heart muscle.

Manifestations of myocardial infarction in each case are individual.

Types of extensive heart attack

Depending on the location of the injury, it is divided into a heart attack:

  • anterior wall of the left ventricle;

It has been established that damage to the anterior wall of the heart is the most common and easier to diagnose disease. It is almost impossible to establish dysfunction of the posterior wall. The cardiogram does not reveal abnormalities, which quite often leads to the death of the patient. Only after the person has died, the autopsy shows numerous scars on the back wall.

In rare cases, a chronic infarction is possible, which is not characterized by pain, with signs of suffocation or fever. It proceeds quite hard, having a large statistics of deaths. With any kind of such a disease, you can meet a "rupture of the heart" for the second time. It happens due to irreversible processes in the heart muscle and adjacent coronary vessels. Blood circulation is disturbed, atherosclerotic plaques appear, as a result of which a repeated heart attack is diagnosed.

Rehabilitation begins after the acute phase of myocardial infarction

Stenting is often used to prevent any type of heart attack. It is a mesh cobalt tube that is inserted into the narrowest part of the artery, providing a constant supply of blood to the heart. It is obligatory after stenting to take blood-thinning drugs in order to avoid thrombosis, from which the stent cannot protect. The operation belongs to the category of endovascular and is performed under local anesthesia.

How long they live after stenting is an incorrect question. You need to understand that the installation of a stent is a chance for a long and healthy life, which can be extended by the right daily routine and a healthy diet.

Life after a heart attack has its own characteristics, and in order to understand how to live with a myocardial infarction, what can and cannot be done, we will consider below. The main criterion for a full life after an illness is its quality.

To restore the body after a "break of the heart" you need:

  • follow a diet and proper nutrition;
  • avoid stress and do not overwork;
  • monitor your weight;

Physical activity is an integral part of rehabilitation therapy after a heart attack.

  • get rid of bad habits;
  • exercise;
  • monitor blood test results;
  • restore an acceptable level of blood pressure;
  • do not neglect the prescribed medications.

If these measures are followed, the likelihood of a recurrence of the disease is significantly reduced.

Remember that in men the course of the disease and the recovery period is more difficult than in women. Therefore, if he has diabetes and he still smokes, the likelihood of the disease is much higher. But with such an ailment, it is not only possible to continue to live, but it is also necessary that it can ensure the right way of life.

Questions about sexual life after illness are the most frequent. At the moment of orgasm, the heartbeat accelerates and this becomes a great physical burden for the heart and for the whole organism. But if you endure the recovery period, gradually increasing the load from walking close distances to climbing stairs, thereby training the heart muscle, then a smooth transition to intimate contacts is not only possible, but will also positively affect the health of the whole organism.

The answer to the question: how to behave after stenting, there will be only one recommendation - adhere to proper nutrition, reconsider your habits.

The prognosis for life after a massive heart attack is less favorable, life expectancy will largely depend on the state of the body and the exact observance of rehabilitation measures.

People after a massive myocardial infarction, especially those who have experienced a massive posterior wall infarction, should definitely be observed by a cardiologist, since usually survival after such a disease is low. This is due to the fact that the heart can no longer work in the same mode, and the task of the patient is to help him in the life support of his body.

What will life be like after a heart attack, how long do patients with such a diagnosis live - the reviews are different. Remember that your health is in your hands.