What should elderly people with heart attacks do to protect their hearts?

Aging and other factors make the elderly more susceptible to cardiovascular problems, but many do not know how to handle them properly. Hello Bacsi invites you to learn what elderly people with heart attacks should do to protect their heart health through the article below!

How does heart health change as people age?

According to the National Institute on Aging , the aging process can cause changes in a person’s heart and blood vessel health. People 50 years of age and older are more likely to have a heart attack, stroke, and related cardiovascular disease than younger people. Heart disease is also a major cause of disability and quality of life for many elderly people.

As we age, the heart can’t beat as fast during physical activity or during times of stress as it did when you were younger. However, the number of heartbeats per minute (heart rate) at rest did not change significantly.

The most common manifestation of the aging change is arteriosclerosis causing blood pressure in the elderly. Fat deposits build up over time, hardening and narrowing the coronary arteries. This reduces the flow of blood and oxygen to the heart muscle. Over time, the heart muscle can become weakened and damaged as the heart has to work harder to supply enough blood to other cells in the body, eventually leading to heart failure.

Signs and causes of heart attack in the elderly

In addition to being interested in learning what to do with a heart attack to get the right treatment, you also need to update your knowledge of detecting abnormal signs in the heart.

Heart disease in its early stages is often asymptomatic or the symptoms are not noticeable. Therefore, it is very important for the elderly to regularly check their cardiovascular health to detect abnormal signs, especially when the elderly often have difficulty breathing, chest pain. In addition, signs of heart disease include:

• Pain, numbness, or tingling in the shoulder, arm, neck, jaw, or back
• Shortness of breath or shortness of breath even with physical activity or at rest
• Angina during physical activity
• Headache
• Dizzy
• Cold sweat
• Nausea
• Swelling in the ankles, legs, feet, stomach or neck
• Reduced mobility and normal physical activities.

If you have any signs of a heart attack, immediately contact your cardiologist for a prompt examination, examination and treatment.

Aging is not the only cause of heart disease. Other causes of adverse effects on heart health include:

• Smoke
• Overweight obesity
• Sedentary lifestyle
• High cholesterol, high blood pressure
• Consume unhealthy foods.

What should elderly people with heart attack do? Do’s and Don’ts when giving first aid for a heart attack

What should elderly people with heart attack do? Refer to some ways to handle when the elderly have a heart attack for timely treatment:

Heart attack should do? What to do when giving first aid for a heart attack in the elderly

What to do when you have a heart attack? Notes for first aid for elderly people having a heart attack:

• The next of kin need to sit down calmly in all situations
• Loosen the clothes of the person having a heart attack
• Ask if the person who has had a heart attack is taking any heart medication, such as nitroglycerin, to help relieve the pain.
• Also, in this case aspirin may be helpful to relieve a heart attack. However, if the person is allergic to aspirin you should consider the possible risks before giving it to the patient.
• If the pain does not subside within 3 minutes of taking nitroglycerin, call for emergency medical help.
• If the person is unconscious, call 911 immediately

Things not to do

Besides knowing what to do with a heart attack, you also need to note what to avoid when giving first aid to elderly people having a heart attack to avoid the risk of stroke such as:

• Do not leave the person having a heart attack alone, but seek outside help if necessary
• You can call 911, don’t wait for the pain and symptoms to go away.
• Do not give someone who has had a heart attack anything other than a prescribed heart medication (such as nitroglycerin).

• Don’t put pressure on the chest: Putting pressure on the chest during a heart attack also won’t help, unless the heart stops beating.

>>> Read more: What you need to know to keep your heart healthy

How to prevent and maintain heart health

The elderly can limit and prevent cardiovascular problems. Take steps to improve and control heart disease risk factors by:

• Regular physical exercise: You can talk to your doctor about the right activities for your current heart health status for the elderly. You can also start with your favorite, gentle activities like walking, biking, or gardening. Avoid sitting in one place for hours every day.
• Quit smoking if you smoke. Quitting smoking can help reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke and or other cancers over time.
• Check your heart health regularly. Keep your blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes under control as advised by your doctor.
• Control and maintain weight.
• Eat a healthy diet that is limited in saturated fat, red meat, and sugar. Instead, include foods like chicken, fish, fresh fruits and vegetables, and whole grains.
• Limiting alcohol and stimulants will help reduce the rate of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems later on

>>> You may be interested in: What is good for the heart? Things you should know.

A healthy heart will help nourish your body to be healthier and maintain better physical condition. Hopefully readers have gained more knowledge about heart health so that they know what to do when the elderly have a heart attack, how to give first aid properly!