The Covid-19 impact on heart – Heart patients must take extra care

HeAltHvsnA — Tue, 29 Sep 2020 02:06:11 +0000

The Covid-19 impact on heart can be very painful. Heart patients must take extra care and try to consult doctor immediately.

The Covid-19 pandemic impact on heart can be very painful if ignored and heart patients must take extra care. In case of heart attack or other emergencies, one should not ignore these symptoms and try to consult doctor immediately. Timely treatment and management of heart diseases is very important during this pandemic.

As the entire world fights the COVID-19 pandemic, heart patients are at a higher risk of complications because of the ailment and a weaker immune system. It is important to ensure treatment compliance, monitor vitals regularly, stay in constant touch with your doctor. With a balanced and healthy diet try to stay active. Building one’s immunity and taking precautions is also a key factor.

Heart patients must take extra care:

Elders and heart patients must take extra care during this difficult times. Better to engage in only light physical activity and take all precautions like social distancing and personal hygiene while at home. Never forget to maintain a safe distance from a person with flu-like symptoms and covering your face with a mask.

In patients with Covid infections, studies have proved that there is an increased tendency to form clots in the arteries. This can lead to heart attacks or clots in the lungs. The virus also affects the heart muscle cell that may cause inflammation and weaken heart (‘Myocarditis’).

Timely treatment for heart diseases is a must as a delay can cause severe complications. Hence be aware of symptoms like chest pain, breathlessness, sweating, giddiness, and loss of consciousness. If anyone in your family experiences any of these symptoms or develop complications such as an acute heart attack consult your doctor immediately.

Precautions for people with heart diseases :

Some of the precautions that should be taken by people with heart diseases are:

Consuming a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and moderate amounts of low-fat dairy and lean meats.
Avoiding smoking and drinking.
Staying active by doing at least 30 minutes of light physical activity every day.
Keeping a check on your vital signs such as cholesterol levels, blood pressure, and sugar.
Managing stress by undertaking activities that will help you relax and unwind.

Should not delay or postpone any treatment:

Heart patients should not delay or postpone any treatment or ignore symptoms due to Covid-19 fear as it will further deteriorate their health. There is more than 40% deduction in heart patients visit due to Covid-19 fear. Covid-19 also affects the heart in many ways but no need to panic. Patients with pre-existing heart diseases, previous heart attacks, or low-pumping efficiency of the heart (heart failure) are at a greater risk of developing serious Covid-19 infection.

Those above 60 years with hypertension or diabetes have a five times greater risk of dying from it. Therefore, heart patients must protect themselves should not be afraid to seek medical attention. New observations show that the virus can affect the heart in previously healthy individuals also. The virus can cause severe inflammatory responses in the body that affect the arteries and, also causes an increased tendency for clotting.

This can lead to heart attacks and strokes, and people of younger age groups may not be immune to that. No heart patient should delay or postpone any treatment due to undue fears over Covid-19 if the need arises. Heart patients should realize that timely treatment can save their lives.

Watch video: Use Heart … for society, your loved ones and you

Dr Mahantesh R. Charantimath
Senior Consultant Interventional Cardiologist
Tathagat Heart Hospital at Mallige Medical Centre premises,
No. 31/32, Crescent Road, Bengaluru – 01
Phone : 080- 2235 7777 | 99003 56000
E-mail: mahanteshrc67@gmail.com
http://tathagathearthospital.com/

The post The Covid-19 impact on heart – Heart patients must take extra care appeared first on Health Vision.

World Heart Day : COVID-19 affects patients with respiratory and cardiac problems

HeAltHvsnA — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 17:32:24 +0000

World Heart day focuses on drawing people’s attention towards different preventative steps and changes in lifestyle to minimize cardiovascular diseases. It is necessary to prioritize heart failure as a cardiovascular disease.

Taking the lives of 17.9 million people every year, World Heart Day focuses on drawing people’s attention towards different preventative steps and changes in lifestyle to minimize cardiovascular diseases like heart attack, heart failure, inflammation of the arteries(peripheral vascular disease), acute kidney dysfunction, stroke, and any other condition related to the same.

Heart diseases can be avoided by controlling risk factors:

Dr. Aziz Kothawala, Cardiologist at Saifee Hospital, Mumbai says “According to several reports and studies, people with cardiovascular diseases and their relatable risk factors are more vulnerable to severe forms of coronavirus infection. It is important to emphasize on making sustainable proactive, dietary and lifestyle modifications for better heart health. At least 80% of premature deaths from heart diseases can be avoided by controlling risk factors such as tobacco use, unhealthy diet and physical inactivity as per the experts. Consuming a well-balanced diet is one of the simplest, most effective ways to keep the nutrition value high and to live a heart-healthy life.”

COVID-19 affects patients with respiratory and cardiac problems:

According to Dr. Sanjeev Kanoria, Founder, Suasth Hospital “Seasonal flu or other viruses impact the body by infecting cells directly. In the case of the current pandemic COVID-19, the virus mainly attacks the lungs. However, at times the virus can also cause your body to produce an overactive immune response which can lead to increased inflammation in the entire body. While COVID-19 does not directly affect the heart, it can affect patients with co-morbidities like respiratory and cardiac problems. It can also indirectly affect the heart by making present heart conditions worse.”

Myocarditis can affect the heart’s ability to pump blood. Severe forms of myocarditis can lead to more serious problems like abnormal heart rhythms, heart muscle disease, and heart failure. As per recent research conducted by the University of Frankford in Germany, more than half of the patients that were studied who had COVID-19 were found to have constant cardiac inflammation. Although, more research needs to be done to recognize the long-term effects of the current COVID-19 virus on the heart. To continue to fight this battle against the current pandemic, everyone should continue to do everything they can to protect themselves and other people from getting the illness.

Prioritize heart failure as a cardiovascular disease:

According to Dr. Rahul Patil, Interventional Cardiologist & Head of Premature Heart Disease Division, Jayadeva institute of cardiovascular sciences, Bangalore , “1/3rd of Heart Failure patients die in the hospital within 6 months of their treatments, which is significantly a very high number. Currently, almost 25% of these CVD patients are suffering with heart failure, experiencing problems like excessive tiredness, breathlessness, leg swelling etc. With the burden of Heart Failure snowballing in India and the high death rates associated, it is necessary to prioritize heart failure as a cardiovascular disease. The need of the hour is, coming together of all stakeholders to develop a community level approach to raise awareness about this condition, which is often used interchangeably with Heart Attack, or seen as an aftermath of the latter.”

The post World Heart Day : COVID-19 affects patients with respiratory and cardiac problems appeared first on Health Vision.

Heart diseases Archives - Health Vision

The Covid-19 impact on heart – Heart patients must take extra care

World Heart Day : COVID-19 affects patients with respiratory and cardiac problems