A female doctor with dark brown skin sits behind a desk, explaining a medication to a male patient

What Happens After a Heart Attack?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report that every year 790,000 Americans suffer a heart attack with 580,000 of those being the patient’s first attack. When an individual is released from the hospital after having a heart attack, he or she may be wondering what happens next. ReactDx, innovators of first-rate Holter Monitoring equipment, discuss the aftercare and services available to patients after the heart attack is over.

Schedule Follow-Up Appointments

It is important to contact a cardiologist for follow-up care. This doctor will oversee your care, including any new medications you’ve been prescribed. Additionally, the physician can coordinate any therapies, testing, or referrals that you may require.

Eat Healthy and Stay Active

If your diet and physical activity were lacking, you’ll want to make a few important life changes. Your doctor can give you a list of heart-healthy foods or set you up with a nutritionist who can teach you how to make healthier food choices. Regular exercise is also essential as it will help to lower your blood pressure, reduce anxiety, and improve your cholesterol.

Get Permission to Drive

Most doctors permit heart attack patients to travel fairly quickly, as long as the mode of transportation has a seat and doesn’t require long periods of standing. As for driving, most doctors don’t give permission right away. Your physician may wish to wait two to four weeks to see how you’re progressing, so don’t get behind the wheel until you’ve been given approval.

Ask for Support

Having a heart attack can be frightening, but there is plenty of support to help you get through this difficult time. Your friends and loved ones can lend a listening ear, provide rides to appointments, and even do a little housework for you. A support group will connect you with others who know exactly what you’re going through, and they can share coping mechanisms that can help you overcome your fears and anxieties.

When you head back to your doctor for a check-up, he or she may wish to use ReactDx’s state-of-the-art Holter Monitoring equipment to keep an eye on your heart health. Patients can visit ReactDx’s News & Updates page for more information and advice on how to keep a heart healthy, or give the company a call at 800-234-3278.

Jodi is a seasoned Human Resources professional who thrives on change and transformation. She fell in love with Human Resources when she attended Penn State University for graduate school in Public Administration with a curriculum that emphasized Human Resources. After earning her Master’s degree she began her career in the manufacturing industry in Talent Acquisition and was eventually assigned the overall HR Management responsibility of three divisions which included collective bargaining. Ultimately, she made her way to transitioning a new division of a Fortune 100 company under the corporate model as well as developing and executing Human Resources policies and procedures across a broad range of functional disciplines. At the next juncture of her career, she was tapped on the shoulder by former Executives that she previously worked with to join in on an exciting start-up. Today, Jodi is the Vice President of Talent Relations and Development for Medicomp Inc dba ReactDx and is responsible for managing the strategic Human Resources function which includes mergers and acquisitions for this rapidly expanding company.

Jodi and her husband enjoy landscaping, finding new restaurants and traveling whenever life gives them the opportunity.

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    On: all lights. Off: no light. Monitoring - Good: green light. Symptom press: green light, sound. Check Pendant: blue light. Check Battery: red light, sound.
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