What is cardiac rehabilitation (rehab)?
Cardiac rehabilitation (rehab) is a program for people who have a heart problem. It teaches you how to be more active and have a heart-healthy lifestyle. This can lead to a stronger heart and better health. Cardiac rehab can help you feel better and reduce your risk of future heart problems.
The program includes exercise, education, and emotional support. You work with a team of health professionals. The team designs a program just for you, based on your health and goals. Then they give you support to help you succeed.
You will learn how to reduce your risk for heart problems, how to manage stress, and how to eat a heart-healthy diet. By the end of the program, you will be ready to maintain a healthy lifestyle on your own. Cardiac rehab can also help you return to work safely and in a timely manner.
Why is cardiac rehab done?
Your doctor may suggest cardiac rehab if you:
- Have had a heart attack.
- Have coronary artery disease with stable angina.
- Have heart failure.
- Have had coronary angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery.
- Have had a heart valve repaired or replaced.
- Have had a heart transplant.
Not everyone is a good candidate for the exercise part of cardiac rehab. You may have other medical concerns that prevent your doctor from recommending cardiac rehab. But almost everyone with heart disease or risk factors for heart disease would benefit from the counseling and health education that cardiac rehab provides.
How is cardiac rehab done?
In cardiac rehab, you can learn how to:
- Manage your heart problem and other conditions you may have, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.
- Exercise safely.
- Take medicine correctly and safely.
- Eat a heart-healthy diet.
- Stay at a healthy weight or lose weight if you need to.
- Quit smoking.
- Manage stress.
Cardiac rehab programs are designed specifically for you and your medical needs.
Exercise in cardiac rehab
Your doctor will give you an exercise prescription. It will give you and your cardiac rehab team guidelines for the frequency, duration, and intensity of your exercise. The prescription will be based on your medical condition and your fitness level.
Your rehab team will keep a close watch on how exercise affects your heart. You will learn how to check your own heart rate when you exercise. By the end of rehab, you will be ready to continue an exercise program on your own.
Cardiac rehabilitation: When to call
Call 911 anytime you think you may need emergency care. For example, call if:
- You have severe trouble breathing.
- You cough up pink, foamy mucus and you have trouble breathing.
- You have symptoms of a heart attack. These may include:
- Chest pain or pressure, or a strange feeling in the chest.
- Sweating.
- Shortness of breath.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Pain, pressure, or a strange feeling in the back, neck, jaw, or upper belly or in one or both shoulders or arms.
- Lightheadedness or sudden weakness.
- A fast or irregular heartbeat.
- You have angina symptoms (such as chest pain or pressure) that do not go away with rest or are not getting better within 5 minutes after you take a dose of nitroglycerin.
- You have symptoms of a stroke. These may include:
- Sudden numbness, tingling, weakness, or loss of movement in your face, arm, or leg, especially on only one side of your body.
- Sudden vision changes.
- Sudden trouble speaking.
- Sudden confusion or trouble understanding simple statements.
- Sudden problems with walking or balance.
- A sudden, severe headache that is different from past headaches.
- You passed out (lost consciousness).
Call your doctor now or seek immediate medical care if:
- You have new or increased shortness of breath.
- You are dizzy or lightheaded, or you feel like you may faint.
- You gain weight suddenly, such as more than 2 to 3 pounds in a day or 5 pounds in a week. (Your doctor may suggest a different range of weight gain.)
- You have increased swelling in your legs, ankles, or feet.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor if you have any problems.
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