Top tips for medical management of heart disease
Top tips for medical management of heart disease
- Inroduction
- What is the best approach to medical management of congenital heart disease?
- What are the actions performed as part of nursing management of congenital heart disease?
- Which is the best heart disease treatment food?
- What is meant by nursing management of ischemic heart disease?
- What needs to be remembered when living with rheumatic heart disease?
Introduction
Diagnosed conditions often progress to complications due to a lack of awareness about the right approach. A large number of patients undergo diagnosis and are aware of existing heart diseases and conditions. However, due to poor medical management of heart disease, this progresses and turns serious. Here is a look at how this can be avoided through the right approach to manage a diagnosed disease.
What is the best approach to medical management of congenital heart disease?
Medical management of heart disease and congenital heart conditions, involves adopting a holistic approach to manage the disease. This is a nuanced approach depending on the severity and specific type or nature of the disease. Let us take a look at the right approach to managing congenital heart conditions:
- Diagnosis through the following:
- History – this involves evaluating the family history, including symptoms, family history, and prenatal/ perinatal complications.
- Examination – this includes looking for physical signs like heart murmurs, cyanosis, or abnormal growth.
- Tests – such as echocardiography, electrocardiogram, chest X-ray, cardiac MRI/CT and cardiac catheterization.
- Medical management through:
- Medicines – such as diuretics, ACE inhibitors/ARBs, beta-blockers, anticoagulants and digoxin.
- Managing symptoms – through oxygen therapy to improve oxygen levels, and nutritional interventions to handle growth and feeding complications in infants.
- Follow-up through regular check-ups and periodic tests including echocardiograms and other imaging studies. Life-long management through changes to lifestyle such as physical activity and diet.
- Interventions like balloon angioplasty, stent placement, and surgeries to rectify structural defects like septal defects, valve issues, or blocked blood flow.
Patients who have not been diagnosed initially, may consider advanced genetic testing to look for congenital conditions and inherited conditions. Blood samples or saliva samples are analyzed to look for genetic reasons for heart disease. This helps to identify, future or lifetime risk of heart disease. Genetic testing facilities presently available in Tamil nadu help to identify and screen conditions
What are the actions performed as part of nursing management of congenital heart disease?
Nursing management is a part of medical management of heart disease including congenital heart conditions. This involves a combination of actions to bring about optimal care, ensure monitoring, and provide support for patients. Key actions that are a part of nursing management include:
- Assessment:
- Vital signs – monitoring heart rate, blood pressure levels, respiratory rate, and oxygen saturation levels.
- Symptoms – looking for signs of heart failure, like edema, cyanosis, and breathing difficulty.
- Development monitoring – to track parameters of development like height and weight.
- Medicines – administer prescribed medications like diuretics, ACE inhibitors, beta-blockers, and anticoagulants. Closely check for side effects of medicines and prevent adverse outcomes of contraindications.
- Nursing care – through nutritional support, and oxygen therapy wherever required, such as cyanotic conditions.
- Awareness – to educate families about the condition and care requirements. To offer instructions on medication administration, checking for symptoms and events that require medical help.
- Emergency – to be prepared for taking actions during emergencies like acute heart failure or arrhythmias.
Which is the best heart disease treatment food?
Medical management of heart disease includes dietary changes and practices to improve cardiovascular health. Recognized and commonly recommended heart-healthy foods include the following:
- Fruits, vegetables – like apples, berries, oranges, leafy greens, broccoli, carrots.
- Whole grains – like oats, brown rice, quinoa, whole wheat bread, barley.
- Healthy fats – like avocados, almonds, walnuts, flaxseeds, chia seeds and olive oil.
- Lean proteins – like skinless poultry, salmon, mackerel, beans, lentils and tofu.
- Legumes and beans – like chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, lentils.
- Low-fat dairy – like skimmed milk, low-fat yogurt, plant-based milks.
- Herbs & spices – like garlic, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon.
- Herbal tea – like green tea, hibiscus tea
What is meant by nursing management of ischemic heart disease?
Nursing management of ischemic heart disease is a part of medical management of heart disease and refers to actions, interventions for managing symptoms and preventing complications. Key actions are similar to that of congenital heart diseases outlined above. Actions that are different or specific to this condition are listed below, while other common nursing care actions are explained earlier.
Symptoms – to look for symptoms like pain in the chest, difficulty breathing, dizzy feelings, or overall tiredness. This helps to assess the severity of ischemic episodes, and on the basis of this evaluation, appropriate care is extended.
Monitoring – includes use of ECG to continuously observe heart rhythms and detect arrhythmias. This helps in dealing with possible complications.
Medicines – like antianginal drugs, antiplatelet agents and statins help in relieving symptoms, and improving heart function. This also helps to prevent complications such as heart attacks or strokes.
What needs to be remembered when living with rheumatic heart disease?
- People with rheumatic heart disease will require lifestyle and medical management of heart disease symptoms and conditions. This helps to prevent complications and includes the following:
- Periodic check-ups, diligently following medication recommendations, and prevention of rheumatic fever.
- Changes to lifestyle include switching over to a heart-healthy diet, following a routine of regular exercise, and quitting smoking, apart from avoiding alcohol.
- Symptoms need to be recognized and managed, to prevent heart failure.
- Preventive care is an important aspect; patients are to take timely vaccination and maintain oral hygiene.
- Patients and care givers are to be aware of emergencies and have a high level of preparedness.
- Prevention of rheumatic fever is critically important and includes following the prescribed course of antibiotics. This will prevent recurrent rheumatic fever, and further damage to the heart valves. Preventive care includes recognizing signs of heart failure, fluid retention or difficulty breathing, to take suitable remedial actions. Vaccinations need to be as per schedule and include shots for flu and pneumonia to prevent infections. Oral hygiene is a neglected area, and poor oral hygiene can cause infections and affect heart valves.
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Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D) from the University of Delhi Experience : Dr. Srinivasan is an experienced pharmacist with a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Delhi and over 12 years in the field. She has worked extensively in clinical and community pharmacy settings, focusing on patient care, medication management, and drug safety. Dr. Srinivasan also contributes to health and wellness publications and serves as a consultant for pharmaceutical companies and healthcare organizations. Her expertise spans clinical practice, pharmaceutical writing, and regulatory affairs.