When it comes to managing heart disease, making lifestyle changes is often an essential part of the treatment plan. For people who have undergone angioplasty and stenting procedures, adopting a healthier lifestyle can significantly improve their recovery and long-term outcomes. These changes may include modifications to their diet, exercise routine, smoking habits, stress management, and medication side effects. By implementing these lifestyle changes, individuals can not only reduce their risk of future heart complications but also improve their overall quality of life.
What is Angioplasty?
Angioplasty is a minimally invasive procedure through which the interventional cardiologist removes the blockage from the artery for a smooth flow of blood, thus ensuring a sufficient supply of oxygen to your heart muscles. Blocked and narrowed arteries usually result in a heart attack, whereas angioplasty reduces the risk of a heart attack through the restoration of enough blood and oxygen to the heart.
What is Stent Implantation:
Sometimes patients who undergo angioplasty also have to undergo stent implantation. A stent is essentially a small, latticed metal scaffold that is introduced into a patient’s blood vessel on a balloon catheter. Most stents in the current era have a drug coating on them for better clinical outcomes. Different forms of stents are chosen based on the location to be inserted.
What are the Lifestyle Changes After Angioplasty and Stent Placement:
The post-recovery period can be long, and the body takes its time to slowly regain its strength. The important lifestyle changes that patients need to adopt after angioplasty include:
Quit Smoking:
Life after angioplasty strictly involves smoking cessation. Smoking can damage the artery lining and also cause fat buildup. This, in turn, causes the narrowing of arteries and affects blood flow in the body. Both active and passive smokers are likely to develop severe heart conditions due to exposure to smoke.
Continue Medication and Doctor Consultation for any Irregularities:
After the angioplasty, the doctor typically advises the patient to take certain medicines that are meant to enhance heart recovery and help regain body strength. Mostly, doctors prescribe medicines that serve as blood thinners, which ease blood flow, dissolve clots, and widen blood vessels. The doctor may even prescribe painkillers to ease the pain. Along with these medicines, the patient may also experience a few side effects, which should be immediately reported to the doctor.
Healthy Diet:
After angioplasty, another critical lifestyle change includes adaptation to a healthy diet. The doctor can recommend some strict diet changes. Patients are often advised to avoid foods containing high levels of sodium, cholesterol, trans fat, saturated fat, and so on. The diet for heart patients should include foods rich in iron, and essential vitamins such as green leafy vegetables, whole grains, fish, low-fat dairy, fiber, dry fruit, etc. The patients should ensure to consume nutritionally balanced food.
Increase Physical Activity:
Physical inactivity is one of the leading causes of developing heart problems. Once the heart condition is cured through angioplasty or stent placement, patients need to ensure that they increase their physical activity as per the guidance of their doctors. Patients should start with low to moderate-level physical activity like taking a small walk or going up and down the stairs once or twice a day. Patients should also consider doing light exercises like aerobics and stretching. But they should not be fully provoked through strenuous workouts.
Obese People Should Manage Weight:
Weight management is another crucial lifestyle change after angioplasty that should not be ignored, especially if you are already obese. Weight management is directly linked to your heart. Cardiac arrest is often caused by obesity. Weight can be managed by combining physical activity with a healthy diet. The patient must regulate their intake of calories, and they should add nutritional foods to their diet like vegetables and fruits, as they help to regulate weight naturally.
Reduce Stress levels:
Stress is never good for the heart. Increased stress levels can worsen heart conditions, cause blood pressure problems, and damage the arteries. These conditions then lead to surgeries like angioplasty. An excellent way to manage stress levels is to practice relaxation techniques such as yoga, and meditation, or to practice hobbies that reduce stress and make you feel relaxed.
Limit Alcohol:
Life after stent placement and angioplasty should have no room for alcohol consumption. Excessive alcohol consumption can lead to a wide variety of health complications, from increased blood pressure to strokes, irregular heartbeats, and heart muscle disease. High consumption of alcohol can also lead to obesity, fatigue, and stroke, all of which can trigger heart problems again.
Regular Follow-up:
Patients should adhere to regular follow-ups with their doctors. They should not miss any check-ups and keep an eye on cholesterol and blood sugar levels to monitor them. They should consult their doctor immediately if they notice any small changes or pain.
Conclusion:
Lifestyle changes play a crucial role in the recovery and management of heart diseases, particularly after angioplasty and stenting procedures. By making changes to their diet, exercise routine, smoking habits, stress management, and medication adherence, individuals can reduce their risk of future heart complications and improve their overall health. Our doctors at Heart Experts of Florida help you take control of your health by adopting these changes and helping their patients enjoy a happy, healthy life.
