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Healthy Living After a Heart Attack: Reducing Stress
Healthy Living After a Heart Attack: Reducing StressEveryone experiences stress at some point, but after a heart attack, too much stress may keep you frommaking the heart-healthy lifestyle changes you should.Stress can lead you to risky behaviors, like drinking too much alcohol, drug use, overeating, eating unhealthyfoods, not exercising or using tobacco.,These behaviors can increase your risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and heart attack.Stress affects your body by triggering the “fight or flight” response. When you are stressed, your body releasesadrenaline and other stress hormones.These hormones affect many organs, including the heart. Over time, being on constant “high alert” can causehealth problems.Although everyone experiences and responds to stress differently, there are positive steps you can take toreduce your stress levels.These include getting regular physical activity, maintaining a positive attitude, having a strong social supportnetwork, avoiding too much caffeine, and making healthy food choices.Exercise in particular has a positive effect on stress. Getting some moderate physical activity every day, orevery other day, can help relieve stress and anxiety, in addition to other health benefits.,Ask your healthcare provider about safe levels of physical activity before beginning a new program.If you are stressed about having another heart attack, it can help to talk to a therapist or counselor.If you don't have a therapist, ask your healthcare provider about finding someone who can help.“When I get home my family really-- they recognize the position that I’m in. They recognize sometimesthat I’m tired, sometimes they tell me you need to just go sit down somewhere or go lay down. And Iappreciate that.”Other techniques to control stress include meditation, relaxation therapy, and other stress managementtechniques.“There are medications that have indications for such conditions as well as increasing your exerciseregimen and increasing your hobbies may benefit in decreasing these stressful situations.”Page 1 ofIf you feel like your stress is overwhelming and affecting your day to day life, you may be experiencing anxiety.A therapist or your healthcare provider can work with you to treat anxiety. In addition to making changes inyour day-to-day life, there are medicines that can help relieve anxiety.Stress is a normal reaction to difficult situations.Taking positive steps to reduce your stress will not only reduce your risk of having another heart attack, it canhave profound health benefits in all areas of your life.“I’ve learned to calm down and take every day for what it is and learn to just enjoy being here and notnecessarily needing to be running all the time and needing to have that chaos in my life.”Page 2 ofThis program is for informational purposes only. Publisher disclaims all guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness,or suitability of this video for medical decision making. For all health related issues please contact your healthcare provider.© The Wellness Network
This video is a patient story about Ronnie, who lives with heart failure.
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