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This section talks about early recovery, including: * activity * feelings * diet * sexual activity Keep in mind it takes about two months for your heart to heal. Activity The first week you return home, you may feel tired or weak. This is because of the damage to your heart muscle and the bedrest you had in the hospital. For the first few weeks: * Get dressed each morning. You should be able to take care of all your personal hygiene (bathing, shaving, dressing). * Pace yourself. Spread your activities throughout the day. If you become tired, rest and schedule unfinished activities for another day. * You may climb stairs at home as part of your daily activity, unless your doctor told you not to. Try to arrange your activities so that you do not have to climb up and down stairs several times during the day. * Walk every day as prescribed by your doctor. A regular walking program is a good way to regain your energy. Ask your doctor about the right amount of exercise for you. * When you feel stronger, you may return to light household chores, such as folding clothes, cooking, light gardening, dusting and washing dishes. * Do not lift, push or pull very heavy objects until your doctor tells you that you may resume these activities. * Your doctor will advise you as to when you can return to work, drive a car and begin more vigorous activities Feelings after a heart attack About one fourth of patients after a heart attack feel depressed, angry and afraid. These are normal responses that usually go away with time, as you get back to your regular activities. To help relieve the emotional blues: * Get up and get dressed every day. Do not stay in bed all day * Get out and walk daily. Daily activity will help you have a healthy mind and body. * Resume hobbies and social activities you enjoy. * Share your feelings with your family, a friend, a clergyman, or support group * Get a good night's sleep. Lack of sleep can cause you to feel tired or irritable. Be careful not to nap too much during the day, or you will not be able to sleep at night. * Limit visits with friends and family at first, to avoid feeling over-tired. Increase them depending on how you feel. With time, these visits can be helpful to lift your spirits. * Join a cardiac rehabilitation program - emotional support is just one benefit to a guided activity & education program. * If you have questions, ask your health care team! You can avoid much stress for yourself and your family if you know about your heart disease and what you can and cannot do. If you do not feel like your emotions are improving or you are concerned about feeling of depressed call your doctor. Medications and counseling is available to help you through this time. Diet Eating a heart healthy diet is very important to prevent future complications of heart disease. Six strategies to reduce coronary artery disease include: * Eat more vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and legumes * Choose fat calories wisely * Eat a variety, and just the right amount of protein foods * Limit dietary cholesterol * Use complex carbohydrates for energy, and limit the intake of simple carbohydrates * Place less emphasis on sodium and increase your intake of potassium, magnesium and calcium Sexual activity Sexual activity can usually be resumed shortly after leaving the hospital. The amount of energy it requires to perform intercourse with a spouse or regular partner is similar to climbing about one or two flights of stairs or walking about one-half mile (0.8 km) at a brisk pace. If you cannot perform these activities without getting angina, short of breath, or becoming over-tired, please discuss this with your doctor before resuming sexual activity. Keep in mind that a sexual relationship has both physical and emotional aspects * Talk openly with your partner * Have sex when you are rested and physically comfortable * Be caring, honest and loving with each other * Anxiety on the part of either partner, as well as some medications, may interfere with sexual arousal and performance. So discuss any difficulties with your doctor. How you can prevent heart attack from occurring in the future The goal after your heart attack is to keep your heart healthy and reduce your risks, to prevent future damage to your heart. * Take your medications * Change your lifestyle * See you doctor for regular heart checkups Take your medications Medications are prescribed after a heart attack to * prevent future blood clots * lessen the work of your heart and improve your heart's performance and recovery * lower cholesterol Other medications may be prescribed if needed. These include medications to treat irregular heartbeats, lower blood pressure, control angina (chest discomfort) and treat heart failure. Check the drug search to find out about your medications. It is important to know: * the names of your medications * what they are for * how often and at what times to take them. Your doctor or nurse should review your medications with you. Keep a list of your medications and bring them to each of your doctor visits. If you have questions about your medications, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Change your lifestyle There is no cure for coronary artery disease. In order to prevent the progression of this disease, you must follow your doctor's advice and make necessary lifestyle changes: Stop Smoking Smoking is directly related to an increased risk of heart attack and its complications. Lower high blood cholesterol A high-fat diet can contribute to increased fat in your blood. Follow a low-fat, low-cholesterol eating plan. When proper eating does not control cholesterol levels, medication is prescribed. A registered dietitian is a good source for dietary information. Control high blood pressure High blood pressure can damage the lining of your coronary arteries and lead to coronary artery disease. A healthy diet, exercise, medications and controlling sodium in your diet can help control high blood pressure. Maintain tight diabetes control High blood sugars are linked to the progression of coronary artery disease. If you have diabetes, it is important to control high blood sugar through diet, exercise, and medications. Follow a regular exercise plan A regular exercise program helps to regain or maintain your energy level, lower cholesterol, manage weight, control diabetes and relieve stress. Check with your doctor first before beginning an exercise program. Achieve and maintain your ideal body weight Obesity is defined as being very overweight (greater than 25 percent body fat for men or 30 percent body fat for women). When you are very overweight, your heart has to do more work, and you are at increased risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and diabetes. A healthy diet and exercise program aimed at weight loss can help improve your health. Control Stress and Anger Uncontrolled stress or anger is linked to increased coronary artery disease risk. You may need to learn skills such as time management, relaxation, or yoga to help lower your stress levels. * Learn more about important strategies to decrease your risk for heart disease. Cardiac Rehabilitation After a heart attack, a cardiac rehabilitation program provides a medically supervised setting to help you recover from your heart attack, learn about your heart disease, and learn strategies to change your lifestyle to prevent further progression of your disease. Your family doctor can give you information about programs in your local area (cardiac rehabilitation is covered by most insurance companies) or you may go to the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation* website to search for a program, or call the Cardiac Prevention and Rehabilitation program at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation 216.444.9353. * Learn more about choosing a cardiac rehabilitation program. See you doctor for regular heart check-ups Make a doctor's appointment four to six weeks after you leave the hospital. Your doctor will want to check the progress of your recovery. Your doctor may ask you to undergo diagnostic tests (such as exercise or pharmacological stress tests or cardiac catheterization) at regular intervals. These tests can help the doctor to diagnose the presence or progression of blockages in your coronary arteries and to plan treatment. Call your doctor sooner if you have symptoms: * angina that becomes more frequent, increases in intensity, lasts longer, or spreads to other areas * shortness of breath, especially at rest * dizziness * irregular heartbeats. What should you do if you have angina? Angina can be described as discomfort, pressure, heaviness or pain in the chest, back, jaw, throat or arm, or as a fullness, indigestion or choking feeling. Symptoms vary from person to person, but they are usually consistent for each individual. Treat angina symptoms quickly If angina occurs: * Stop your activity. Sit down and rest. * If you have nitroglycerin, place 1 nitroglycerin tablet under your tongue and let it dissolve, or spray the nitroglycerin under your tongue. * Wait 5 minutes. * If you are still experiencing angina after 5 minutes, call 9-1-1 to get emergency help. DO NOT DELAY. * Due to the possible benefits of taking an aspirin early on during a heart attack, emergency personnel may tell you to chew an aspirin if there is no medical reason for you to avoid aspirin. * Do not drive yourself to the hospital. In many cases, the emergency personnel can begin to give you heart-saving care right away. * To prevent damage to your heart muscle, do not delay seeking medical treatment. Remember, if prescribed, carry your nitroglycerin with you at all times. * Nitroglycerin comes in tablet or spray forms. * Nitroglycerin must be kept in a dark container. * Keep it away from heat or moisture. * Check the expiration date on the container. * Once the container of nitroglycerin is opened, it must be replaced every six months The following links can provide you with more information: * Medical management of coronary artery disease * Interventional procedures to treat coronary artery disease Find a Doctor that treats this disease Institutes, Departments and Centers * Heart & Vascular Institute (Miller Family) Back To Top Treatments & Services * Angioplasty * Blood Tests to Determine Risk of Coronary Artery Disease * Cardiac Catheterization * Echocardiogram * Electrocardiogram * Enzyme & Protein Blood Tests * Guided Imagery & Heart Surgery * Intravascular Ultrasound * Lipid Blood Tests * Nuclear Imaging * Physical Examination * Radiographic Tests Back To Top Related Articles * Alcohol and Heart Surgery * Antioxidants * Heart Palpitations * Heart Surgery Recovery * Heart Surgery Recovery - Tips to Help You Sleep * Preventive Cardiology & Rehabilitation Program * Recovery: After My Bypass * Treatment of CAD and Interventional Procedures - Dr. Lincoff * Your coronary arteries Back To Top iSupport: Make a Gift Social Media * By posting on any site below, you are bound by the Social Media Policy. * Facebook * YouTube * Twitter * LinkedIn Cleveland Clinic Nurse On Call 800.801.2273 * Home * About Cleveland Clinic * Careers at Cleveland Clinic * Giving * Office of Diversity & Inclusion * Community Outreach * Research & Innovations * Free Health eNewsletters * Resources for Medical Professionals * Media Relations * For Employees Locations * Main Campus * Cleveland Clinic Children's Hospital * Northeast Ohio Family Health Centers * Northeast Ohio Community Hospitals * Northeast Ohio Specialty Centers * Florida * Canada * Nevada * Abu Dhabi Site Information * Send Us Feedback * Copyright, Reprints & Licensing * Site Map * About this Website * Website Terms of Use * Website Privacy Policy This website is accredited by Health On the Net Foundation. 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