Heart
transplant has been a blessing for those who are fighting with life-threatening heart diseases. It is often recommended as a last resort for end-stage heart failure or severe coronary artery disease when all other surgical procedures have failed. A successful transplant improves the life expectancy of a person. It’s almost like having a new lease of life when all the hopes were gone. But a new heart brings with itself a lot of responsibilities and you need to remember that taking care of this heart could even be more demanding. You need to bring significant changesin your life to live with your new heart.
So, here are 5 ways on how to take the best care of your new heart:
- Follow the diet chart religiously:-
Diet has a very crucial role to play in keeping a healthy heart, especially, when it is a transplanted heart, you need to be extra cautious. Follow whatever diet has been recommended by your treating doctor as it will help you in maintaining a healthy weight and put complications like diabetes, high blood pressure and other heart-related disorders, at bay. Generally, the recommended diet will include fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low fat or fat-free dairy items, right amount of water and staying away from alcohol and other unhealthy consumables. Many a time, it so happens that you are not sure about a particular stuff that is not there on your diet chart, then it is best to talk to a cardiologist first rather than taking any chances.
- Make exercise a part of your routine:-
When you are fit enough to do physical workout after the surgery, your cardiologist may recommend to make physical activity and exercise a part of your routine to improve your mental and physical health. The exercise program would be designed to help you reduce stress, maintain the right weight, control blood pressure, strengthen your bones and improve your physical function. At any point you feel tired, immediately take a break. Remember, both under or overdoing may be dangerous for your new heart, so follow what exactly your doctor has recommended. Your exercise plan would be developed considering a lot of physical factors pertaining to your health. Never opt for any regular exercise program because you have undergone a typical health condition that needs customised diet and exercise.
- Safeguard yourself from infections:-
No doubt you have a healthy heart now, but your body has undergone something which is not natural, so it is weaker and more vulnerable to infections. Frequent infections may lead to slowed recovery and can act as a gateway to other problems as well. Hence, you need to take more precautions to keep away from infections.
- Never miss an appointment with your doctor:-
After your transplant, your doctor will keep calling you at regular intervals. Soon after the surgery, you will be called more frequently, may be once in a week, and then you might need to visit once in a year, depending upon how well you are recovering. You must make sure to be there at every scheduled appointment as this will help the doctor to monitor your progress after surgery. If it is, somehow, not possible to make a physical visit, then you can consult a cardiologist online and keep in touch with him from anywhere. Most of the doctors offer online consultation so this should not be a problem. He would also suggest you as when you need a physical visit to a clinic.
- Inform your doctor about any symptom that you experience:-
Whether it is your appointment date or not, you must keep your cardiologist informed about any unusual symptoms that you are experiencing. Do not keep a casual approach and take each symptom seriously because prevention is even more important in such cases. If you experience flu-like symptoms, fever, chest pain or tenderness, shortness of breath, high blood pressure, increased fatigue, or nausea, do not miss to meet a doctor immediately.
Taking care of a transplanted heart is not just the responsibility of the patient alone, but of the family too. Family can offer the required emotional and mental support and motivate the patient to take better care of his/her health. They will also help in taking extra precaution which is much needed at this time. So, embrace your new life with more confidence and commitment towards leading a healthy life.
Author Bio:-Rinki Manya is an ardent reader and a passionate content writer at Zoylo Digihealth. She keeps herself updated with the trending technology in the healthcare industry through magazines and online journals. A health & wellness writer at her present enterprise, she has also proved her writing skills in beauty, fashion, and lifestyle at her previous companies. She uses writing as a tool to connect to readers with info on digital healthcare developments and healthy lifestyle options.