FAQ
1. What happens during a heart attack?
Heart attack, also called Myocardial Infarction is a catastrophic application in patients having blockages in the blood vessel of the heart.
Sedentary lifestyle, smoking and lack of physical activity are common causes of a heart attack.
2. What are the symptoms of a heart attack?
The symptoms of heart attack are tightness or pain in the chest, neck, back or arms, fatigue, lightheadedness, abnormal heartbeat and anxiety.
3. What are the risk factors of a heart attack?
The risk factors of heart attack are tobacco use, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, lack of exercise and family history.
4. What is the treatment for heart attack or myocardial Infarction?
An emergency angiogram, which is a diagnostic test is performed through a wrist or groin to identify the underlying blockage that leads to the heart attack. Then treated with emergency angioplasty which is a stenting procedure to restore the blood flow and save a persons' life.
Other treatments include Thrombolytic agent or clot-dissolving injection given intravenously which will go to blocked areas and dissolve the clot.
5. Can a heart attack happen again?
Yes, a person who had a heart attack can again go through another heart attack subsequently. It can be prevented with appropriate medication like blood thinners, quit smoking and lifestyle changes.
6. What are the lifestyle modifications after a heart attack?
The lifestyle modifications after a heart attack are to adopt a physically active lifestyle, healthy diet management and follow medications as prescribed by the doctor.
7. How long should the medication be continued?
Medication should be continued for a lifetime for a person who had a heart attack and angioplasty.
Aspirant, which is a blood thinner is more or less lifelong unless there are specific problems with the medicine, in which case the alternative is advised.
Cholesterol reducing medication is advised for a lifetime and some medication to prevent subsequent heart attacks is a must and they are lifelong.
8. How frequent is the doctor follow-up advised and what tests are to be performed?
In any patient who had a heart attack, regular followup advised one week after discharge, another followup after a month of discharge and subsequently every three months up to one year after one year if the patient is fit enough.
9. What is cardiac rehabilitation?
It is a type of physical therapy focused on optimizing physical function in patients with cardiac disease or recent cardiac surgeries. Cardiac rehabilitation aims to rehabilitate the patient into a normal life.
10. What are the necessary precautions to be taken after an angioplasty?
Medications such as blood thinners to prevent clotting within the stent and medication to reduce cholesterol deposits which are the main cause of the blockage. So it is important to continue the lifelong medication for diabetes and blood pressure, to prevent heart attack.
If there are any symptoms like just pain, severe breathing difficulty, inability to walk, effort and tolerance, etc. Consult the Best Cardiologist in Bangalore at Sakra world hospital.
11. How long will the stent remain open? Does it have a lifespan?
Stents will last life lifelong as they are the latest generation medicated stents. Only in five to 10% of patients who have had a stent, there is a small chance of getting, narrowing, developing within the stent called restenosis.
12. When can a patient get back to work after angioplasty?
After a week of discharge. But in cases where there are complications where there has been a more slower recovery, we may advise them around three to four weeks
13. When can the patient drive after a heart attack on angioplasty?
If the patient can manage day-to-day activities at the end of one week after the heart attack, then the patient can drive.
If the patient is not able to perform daily activities without symptoms, then it is better to avoid driving for six weeks or eight weeks.
14. When can the patient have a sexual activity after heart attacks?
After a week or 2 weeks, people can get back to normal sexual activity.
