Cardiac arrest, heart attack, and heart failure are common medical diseases in our modern world. Our sedentary lifestyle and environment changes have skyrocketed cardiovascular diseases. Sadly when a patient goes through this and discharges from the hospital, he goes into the same pattern that has led to disease in the first place. Family and friends with the best intention in mind only provide moral and psychological support.
What patients need is a well thought out action plan for recovery, rehabilitation, and future prevention. This will not only save him of medical expenses which empty his hard-earned money but also the trauma endured during the process of disease discovery and surgery.
According to medical data in 2016 54.5 million Indians are suffering from cardiac vascular diseases. One in four death in India is due to cardiovascular diseases. Heart diseases have increased by 50 % from 1990 to 2016. Cardiovascular diseases have cost 28 lakh deaths in 2016.
This epidemic is concerning as its high growth rate in the last decades, people with young age are getting affected and high fatality rate. Cardiac vascular diseases (CVD) have not only been prevalent in urban pockets but poorer states and rural regions have suffered the most with their lack of health check-ups and optimal therapy.
These statistics imply that it’s high time! If when don’t find a way to tackle this day is not soon that India will become the CVD capital of the world as it is diabetes type 2 capital. Cardiac rehabilitation is a way to curb this problem in the long term and prevent loss of life due to CVD.
In India with dire medical facilities and lack of medical awareness, Cardiac rehabilitation in Gurgaon has come as a ray of hope. Patients admitted to the hospital for cardiovascular disease and heart surgery are referred to and guided by doctors for this cardiac rehabilitation in Gurgaon program.
Cardiac rehabilitation in Gurgaon is a new medical practice but globally a tried and tested outpatient program. Cardiovascular illness often leads to heart attack, angioplasty, and heart failure. This is how cardiac rehabilitation is important.
Initially, it was used in myocardial infarction (MI) but now an individualistic and holistic approach to improving cardiovascular health. A team of multidisciplinary doctors, physiologists, health workers, and psychologists observe and execute a multifaceted plan for heart patient recovery exercise and education programs. This prevents any heart risk in the future. Medically and socially through the support of family and friends patients embark a journey to a healthy heart.
The individualistic component of cardiac rehabilitation can never be sacrificed. During exercise consideration for individual strengths and limitations should be taken into account.
This program is not just an exercise program but nutritional and lifestyle changes are also made. Smoking cessation is also taken into consideration.
Cardiac rehabilitation consists of four phases. The phase is divided into different recovering stages following a cardiac event. The second aspect of rehabilitation requires exercise, training and counseling, risk intervention, and follow up.
The referral program must be organized so that patients interested in the same are identified and can be invited to attend. The patient should be encouraged by cardiologist, cardiothoracic surgeon, rehab coordinator, or members of the hospital team. Every detail similar to a cardiac event, complication, fasting lipid profiling, and fasting glucose profile should be done in advance.
The phase occurs soon after your cardiac event. A physical therapist will work closely with your doctors, nurses, and other rehabilitation professionals to help you start to regain your mobility. In case you had a severe cardiac injury or surgery, such as open-heart surgery, your physical therapist may begin working with you in the ICU. You may be moved to a cardiac step-down unit once you no longer require the intensive monitoring and care of the ICU. You may also be discharged to home to begin phase two cardiac rehab once significant healing has taken place.
It generally takes 2 to 5 days. Doctors and other staff make a visit to inform their family and the patient about the personal CV risk factors of the patient. Making lifestyle modifications risk and formulating an individual plan to sustain these lifestyle changes. If there are people around the patient to support and encourage him, like his family members, then the rate of progress is maintained. If possible, the patients must also be encouraged about Phase II and Phase III programs. On talking about the activity levels, they can be according to the patient’s current medical condition. Every check-up of the patient must be done precisely and care must also be taken properly.
To improve and bring back a good standard of living and lifestyle changes, they should be given an individual plan. It is important that this plan also includes regular exercise instructions. The patient should also have a psychosocial assessment via interview or questionnaire.
“Once you leave the hospital or Rehabilitation center, your program will continue at an outpatient facility. This phase usually lasts from three to six weeks and involves continued monitoring of your cardiac responses to exercise and activity. Another important aspect of this phase is education about proper exercise procedures, and about how to self-monitor heart rate and exertion levels during exercise. This phase focuses on your safe return to functional mobility while monitoring your heart rate.”
This stage is very important as patient cooperation and adherence to the action plan is required. Reinforcement of cardiac risk modification and adherence to lifestyle changes is recommended. Essential activities such as support and educational activities can be easily achieved by phone calls and some educational classes by home visits.
If the patient is easily performing some basic exercise, then they have started achieving a better health condition. However, these activities are increased slowly with the passage of time and on consulting the cardiologist.
4-6 weeks post-cardiac arrest and post sternotomy unless otherwise directed by a cardiac rehabilitation specialist .
This includes cardiac rehabilitation and secondary prevention. Planned exercise as well as educational activities are made to continue. You learn to monitor your heart rate, your symptomatic response to activity, and your rating of perceived exertion (RPE). When you become more independent during this phase, your physical therapist can help tailor a program of exercises, including flexibility, strengthening, and aerobic training.
Additional psychological support can also be provided to the patient. The third phase lasts for around six weeks and includes regular exercise performed by them. These exercises consist of a warm-up, exercise, and are concluded by a cool down. Training is also given to improve resistance. Phase III compromises of risk stratification, previous activity consideration, and future needs. Patients and families are educated regarding cardiac anatomy and physiology and recognition of cardiac pain and symptom management. Awareness is given regarding cardiac healthy eating and its benefits. On a psychological level, they are taught relaxation techniques. Counseling and behavior modification for patient psychological wellbeing is conducted.
Separate stations are set out and participants spend a fixed amount of time at each aerobic station before moving onto the next station which may be rest or active recovery in the form of resistance training for a specific muscle group. Resistance is generally with 10-15 repetitions to moderate fatigue of 8-10 exercises.
This includes maintaining the lifestyle changes, which are taught in the previous stages, till the later years of life. Risk prevention and other changes are also monitored. This can be done in several ways such as educational sessions, clinic visits, on-call, and other such programs.
The final phase of cardiac rehabilitation is your own independent and ongoing conditioning. After the previous three periods, you should have excellent knowledge about your specific condition, risk factors, and strategies to maintain optimal health. Independent exercise and conditioning are essential for maintaining optimal health and preventing possible future cardiac problems.
This program is not appropriate for everyone who had heart-related diseases. Doctors evaluate your health, review your medical history, conduct a physical examination, and perform tests to make sure that you are ready to start a cardiac rehabilitation program.
There is a small risk of cardiovascular complications during this program. There are also some chances that people suffer injuries, such as strained muscles or sprains while exercising as a part of cardiac rehabilitation. But a team of doctors will carefully monitor you while you workout to lower this risk and will teach you how to avoid injuries when you are exercising on your own.
It is a long-term maintenance program, and you’ll generally need to continue the habits and follow the skills you learned in the program for the rest of your life. You may also require to maintain exercise at a cardiac rehab center, a fitness center, or a club. Learn about nutrition ,lifestyle , and healthy weight may continue, as well as counseling. To get the most benefits from this, make sure your exercise and lifestyle practices become lifelong habits. Over the long term, you may:
