What To Expect When Starting Cardiac
Rehabilitation
Your doctor may refer you to cardiac rehab during an
office visit or while youre in the hospital recovering from a
heart
attack or
heart
surgery. If your doctor doesnt mention it, ask him or her if cardiac
rehab might benefit you.
Rehab activities vary depending on your condition.
If youre recovering from major heart surgery, rehab will start with a
member of the team helping you to sit up in a chair or take a few steps. You
will work on range-of-motion exercises. These include moving your fingers,
hands, arms, legs, and feet. Over time you will increase your activity level.
Once you leave the hospital, rehab will continue in
a rehab center. The rehab center may be part of the hospital or in another
place. Try to find a center close to home that offers services at a convenient
time. If no centers are near your home, or if its too hard to get to
them, ask your doctor about home-based rehab.
You will need to go to rehab regularly to learn how
to reduce risk factors and to begin an exercise program.
Health Assessment
Before you start your cardiac rehab program, your
rehab team will assess your health. This includes taking your medical history,
doing a physical exam, and performing tests.
Medical History
A doctor or nurse will ask you about previous heart
problems, heart surgery, and any heart-related symptoms you have. He or she
also will ask whether youve had medical procedures or other health
problems (such as
diabetes or kidney disease).
The doctor or nurse will want to know:
- Whether your family has a history of heart
disease.
- What medicines youre taking, including
over-the-counter and herbal medicines. Describe how much, how often, and when
you take each medicine.
- Whether you smoke and how much.
- How you check your blood sugar level, and how
often you do it (if you have diabetes).
- Whether youve ever had
hypoglycemia (HI-po-gli-SE-me-ah). This condition can occur in
people who take medicines to control their blood sugar level.
Your rehab team will ask questions to help them
assess your quality of life and well-being.
Physical Exam
A doctor or nurse will do a physical exam to check
your overall health, including your heart rate, blood pressure, reflexes, and
breathing.
Tests
Your doctor may order tests to check your heart.
A resting
EKG
(electrocardiogram) is a simple test that detects and records the electrical
activity of your heart. It shows how fast your heart is beating. It also shows
the heart's rhythm (steady or irregular) and the strength and timing of
electrical signals as they pass through each part of your heart.
You also may need tests to measure your cholesterol
and blood sugar levels. If you have diabetes, staff also will do an HbA1C test
to check your blood sugar control. This test shows how well your diabetes has
been managed over time. |