Tag: Having A Heart Attack

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Questions to ask before you leave a hospital

There are many things that you need to know when you leave a hospital after a surgery. I ran into this first hand last week after my dad has a heart attack and then an angioplasty and my mom took him from the hospital with almost no information.

That kind of thing should never happen.

I speak of all this not just a fitness guy, but as someone that has had to eal with a sick daughter with kidnet disease, as well as a very jarring situation with my dad having a heart attack and angioplasty just a few weeks back. Sometimes we get fantastic information from the doctors, nurnses and other health care staff, sometimes not. Most importantly though we need to be very careful with the way that we take in information. sometimes we miss details given to us and sometimes the health care professionals think that we are aware of certain things when in fact we are not.

First of all the hospital staff including nurses, doctors and other health care workers have a head full of knowledge that you just have to ask the right questions to the right people.

Right after leaving the hospital

doctorsRight after you leave the hospital what do you need to know. Are there any special instructions for that first night?
Are there any medications needed? Some medication may need to be taken that first day but some many can wait.

Are there any dietary restrictions? How about water and food intake over the first 24 hours. Often there are water restirctions or a need for water and fasting or not.

How about baths, heat or ice packs? Are these needed, can you pick them up on the way home from the hospital or wait?

The initial day home from a hospital can be difficult so it is important to know what distractions you can get rid of. The last thing you want to do in those first 24 hours is to be running out to the store to buy things, fill prescriptions, get food, or any other things that can just wait a day.

After 24 hours – Through the first week out of the hospital

As any kind of caregiver you need to make sure that you are very clear on the situation above. You need to know things like dietary restrictions going forward, water and liquids, and then all the crazy things that certain surgeries can bring on. You may need to have multiple medications to track and exercise considerations.

As far as medications. How many and how often. It is important to have a schedule of exactly what has to be taken when and any interactions between the medications. You can get this information from a pharmacist or the doctor and in these cases do not trust your memory. Write everything down. Another problem with medications is the side effects.

Make sure that you know what the side effects can be and what to watch out for. Most people do not show side effects but really the fact is that you will be dealing with medications that are not common to you or your patient so you need to be aware if there is an allergy or side effect showing up.

Finally, as far as I am concerned, most medications are for acute symptoms. Right after a trauma or a surgery you need to take a few things like pain killers, blood thinners, anticoagulants, and anti-inflammatories that you should be able to drop once healing has taken place. Please under no circumstances should you make these decisions on your own, but instead consult with the doctors and other staff that you have access to so that the decisions are not going to set you any steps back in the recovery process.

Food, Drink, and Exercise. What you take in an what you do in the days after surgery and recovering from these often has a bigger effect on the outcome and recovery than anyone really suspects. The fact is that your body will heal with what you eat and drink and what you do for exercise is really important.

Critical changes to your diet and exercise are important if you want to heal or support those healing so be sure to be very aware of what is prescribed for in the area of food and restrictions for foods or other things like sodium. Also after a stay in the hospital it can be very difficult to get a lot of exercise but exercise is critical to recovery. In my dads case after his heart attack we of course had no idea how much exercise a moderately physical guy should get afterwards so it is important to talk to the doctor and nurses to see what they have to say.

Permanent changes are often needed after hospital stays. A car accident, heart attack, or other major life event is just that, a major life event and may mean that you have to make permanent changes. You have to look at diet, exercise, ongoing health care, and even lifelong habits may need to change.

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Is Running Healthy?





Is running healthy? There are many reasons why people start running. Some run in order to become fit or lose weight. Others like the challenge of competing in a race. Running is one of the best cardio activities and provides many health benefits.

I know that we all know someone that hurt their knees or hips running but really these drawbacks to the sport are usually due to just using poor form Ask any of these people that have hurt themselves is running healthy and they will tell you that is certainly is.

Why is Running Healthy

Running makes you healthy and fit. It is a great way to strengthen your cardiovascular system and keep your heart and lungs healthy. It reduces your risk of having a heart attack. When combined with a healthy diet, running can help normalize your blood pressure and lower your cholesterol level. It also improves your immune system so you don’t get sick easily. To get the best cardio benefits, run at least 30 minutes a day for four or five days a week.

Running helps you lose weight. When you run, your body burns a lot of calories. Running is an excellent cardiovascular exercise and helps you shed excess weight. It also builds lean muscles and boosts your metabolism, allowing you to burn more calories.

Is Running Healthy

Is Running Healthy

Running give you more energy. When you’re feeling tired or physically drained, a good cardio activity like running can give your energy level a boost. This may seem counter-intuitive but if you feel sluggish after sitting at your desk all day, running will give you back your energy. Running in the morning can also improve your energy level during the day.

Running relieves stress. One of the best reasons to run for health is to remove stress and even mild depression. Running lowers your stress levels. It provides a sense of accomplishment and makes you feel good inside. Studies show that people who exercise regularly are generally happier than those who don’t.

Running improves your mood. When you run, your body releases endorphins. These are hormones that make you feel good and provide a sense of euphoria, commonly called “runner’s high.”

Running keeps you young. High impact activities like running help you prevent bone and muscle loss as you age. Running is a physically demanding exercise and will allow your bones and muscles to grow stronger. It is better than an anti-aging product or procedure. Cardio exercise improves blood circulation and gives a healthy, youthful glow to your skin. Staying young is one of the top reasons to run for health.

Running is cheap. Many forms of exercise for health reasons require expensive equipment and/or a gym membership. Running, on the other hand, is one of the cheapest forms of working out. All you need is a pair of running shoes, shorts, and a t-shirt.

These are all great reasons to start running or to continue running. This is a great sport that will help you improve your health and fitness and make you proud of how you are getting better all the time.

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Weight Loss Exercise

Panic Attack Symptoms



With the number of people suffering from panic attacks in the millions, it seems this problem is more common than you originally thought. If you feel you may have had panic attacks yourself but you are not really sure, read on to see if any of these symptoms sound all too familiar.

First off, keep in mind that you may not experience all these symptoms. Everyone is different and may experience things in different ways. The following are the most common panic attack symptoms:

* tight feeling in the chest
* increased heart rate
* hot flushed feeling
* excessive sweating or clamminess
* shortness of breath
* hyperventilating
* nausea
* muscle tension
* dizziness
* terror
* fear of impending doom

For many people, the first time they experience a panic attack they feel like they’re having a heart attack or are dying. They’re rushed to the hospital only to find that their heart is fine and the doctors can’t find anything physically wrong. If the idea of panic attacks is not brought up, they’re left feeling that something is wrong with them and they begin to visit different medical doctors trying to determine what it is.

Panic attacks occur when the “fight or flight” adrenaline goes into overdrive. Your body believes that it is about to be attacked and brings forth all the responses that would go along with a seriously dangerous situation. The trouble is, the event at hand does not warrant this behavior. Yes, you know your fear is way out of proportion but you are unable to stop it. You can say to yourself, “This is silly, I’m just going to drive on this freeway for 5 miles as I’ve done many times in the past” but your body reacts anyway.

Even scarier is realizing that these attacks can happen at any time. Some people wake up in the middle of the night with them or have them occur when doing something as benign as watching TV.

It is commonly believed that panic attack disorder can be triggered by any of the following:

* stress, situational or long-term
* hormones
* post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
* possibly excessive sugar or caffeine

The worst part is anticipating or worrying that you will have another panic attack. In fact, the worry can be enough to bring on a panic attack. Added to that it seems each episode is burned into your brain and you feel if you’re in the same situation or location, you will surely have another episode. Because of this you start avoiding these situations or locations. But avoidance behavior is not the answer.

If these symptoms ring true for you, seek answers. You don’t have to continue to suffer from panic attacks, there is treatment available.


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