Caring for Heart Disease
Heart disease is a general term for diseases that mainly affects the heart. The heart is a vital organ that is responsible for pumping blood that is being supplied in our circulatory system. There are various types of heart diseases but the most common and leading cause of death is coronary artery disease.
The obvious symptom of heart disease is chest pain or medically termed as angina. Usually, patients with heart disease will experience chest pains that would radiate to their left arm and shoulder. Patients experiencing angina attack are struggling for breath aside from the pain that they are experiencing.
In caring for heart disease patients, you need to be observant of the signs and symptoms of an angina attack. Sometimes, before an angina occurs, patients would experience being nauseous and wanting to vomit. Weakness is also a subjective symptom as well as shortness of breath.
Close monitoring is required when caring for heart disease patients because they usually do not have normal vital signs. Drugs such as Digoxin can cause a difference in the heart rate and the blood pressure as well. Generally, when a patient is diagnosed with a heart disease, confinement is necessary to observe the patient’s condition. An ECG monitoring is also required to check the patterns of heartbeat for any abnormalities.
It is truly painful for patients to suffer from heart disease; however their loved ones are also suffering an emotional burden to see them in such condition. Usually, a significant loved one takes the caregiver role whenever a family member is diagnosed with heart disease. Taking care of a patient with a heart disease is physically and emotionally stressful especially, when you witness an angina attack. Health care professionals who are taking care of patients with heart diseases are also including the significant others in their goals of care.
Because patients who have heart diseases are prone to depression, a loved one must always be there to provide them with a sense of security. Typically, patients would feel that they are useless and a burden because they can not anymore do things that they usually do before. It is necessary that you would provide them with your support and reassure them of their importance.
March 15 2009 09:53 am | Heart Disease Symptoms
March 17th, 2009 at 10:14 am
Hey, thanks for explaining about the symptoms for heart disease!