Cardiovascular disease is becoming more common with unhealthy diets and an increasingly sedentary lifestyle. It’s important to know how to treat this disease so you are able to improve your health, effectively managing it. The better it is managed, the fewer symptoms you will see. You may even be able to prevent more extensive medical care.
Lifestyle Changes
One of the first things your doctor will prescribe when you’ve been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, is to make some changes to your lifestyle. Your diet should be changed to avoid sodium, or salt, as well as fat. It is also recommended that you get at least 30 minutes of exercise most days to keep your heart as healthy as possible. However, more exercise may be beneficial, and you should talk to your physician. Those who smoke will be advised to quit, and those who drink will be advised to limit alcohol intake.
Medications to Treat Cardiovascular Disease
If lifestyle changes aren’t enough to manage your cardiovascular disease, the next step is medication. Your doctor may prescribe something to help your heart work a little easier. The most common medications used to treat cardiovascular disease are Beta Blockers. These are used to treat hypertension, also known as high blood pressure. Blood thinners such as Warfarin may also be used, with or without aspirin therapy. If you suffer from arrhythmia, or an abnormal heart rhythm, an antiarrhythmic medication can help. Medications can be used in conjunction with others to manage cardiovascular disease.
Medical Procedures
The last step in treating cardiovascular disease, if lifestyle changes and medication aren’t working, is to undergo one of many procedures. Some procedures aren’t invasive at all. In fact, stents can be place in the arteries surrounding the heart during angioplasty. It requires a very little scar and is usually done fairly quickly. A pacemaker may also work if your heart rhythm is abnormal or changes. However, if the condition of your heart is poor, you may need to undergo a heart bypass or even a heart transplant.
Treating cardiovascular disease is relatively easy with regular visits to your doctor, following lifestyle change advice, and considering treatment through medications or simple procedures. By recognizing cardiovascular disease early, more can be done to slow it, or even stop it from progressing. The Internal Medicine Diagnostic Center can help you to recognize the problem and can help you treat it.