Heart Conditions May Be Helped With Rehab
By Alice Lane

If you\'ve recently been diagnosed with congenital or acquired heart disease then you may be a candidate for a cardiac rehabilitation program. To be a likely candidate you don\'t have to fall in the category of those who have had a heart attack. You may also be a candidate without having had heart surgery or other heart procedures. The decision is for you and your doctor to discuss. If your physician thinks you are a likely candidate and has prescribed a cardiac rehab program it might be to help improve your hearts functional capacity, to reduce symptoms and to produce a greater sense of well-being for you. If you have any one of the following conditions, you may be in favor of discussing the possibility of being in a cardiac rehabilitation program with your doctor: Congestive heart failure, Angina pectoris, Myocardial infarction, Post-open heart surgery, Post-heart transplantation, Balloon angioplasty, Pacemaker, Congenital heart disease, Arrhythmias, or Rheumatic heart disease.

To determine if you should be in a program, you and your doctor will discuss the course of action and may include some other professionals in the discussion. Of course your cardiologist or cardiovascular surgeon will probably be a key member of the team that determines what you will be doing. A physiatrist will also be on the team. They are medical doctors with specialized training in physical medicine, rehabilitation and pain medicine. You may also have on your team an internist, a rehabilitation nurse, and a physical therapist. If you need to change some of your eating habits your team will probably include a dietitian. More and more focus is on the whole health regimen that includes what you eat.

If need be, an occupational therapist will help you maximize your skills and abilities to get you on track to have all of the skills needed for living a fulfilling life. If needed a speech and language therapist will be a team member as will a psychologist or a psychiatrist. A few more team members may include a recreational therapist, an audiologist, a chaplain and a vocational therapist.

Choosing one of the hospitals in the Chicago area is important to your program. You want to choose the hospital with the program that is designed to fit your individual needs. If you have specific heart problems or disease then you need a cardiac physician or a team of cardiac professionals to monitor your program for the outcome you are expecting. The goal of a good program should help you reverse your symptoms if possible and maximize cardiac functionality. It may include instituting a progressive exercise program to build your fitness level and increase capacity. There will probably be some educational classes to help you change your lifestyle if need be. Habits such as smoking and diet will be a major focus for some. Stress management may be a part of your program if you need to reduce anxiety and the level of daily stress. When needed, preparing you to return to work and equipping you with the tools to deal with the physical and psychological demands of your job will also be a focus in your program.

If you are a candidate for a cardiac rehabilitation program then making sure you have the right team and facility is important. A cardiac rehab program will help you get your life back on track. The best choice of hospitals in the Chicago area will be one that fits into your specific needs to help you get to the level of health you desire.

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