La Jolla Senior Care News

4 Complications to Watch Out for After a Heart Attack

Home Care in La Jolla CA

When your loved one has a heart attack, it’s tempting to believe that the heart attack itself is the dangerous part. Recovery should be pretty easy, in most people’s opinions. The problem is that sometimes a heart attack can be just the beginning of additional problems with your loved one’s heart. Here are just a few of the complications that your loved one’s doctor will be watching for.

Heart Failure

After a heart attack, your loved one’s heart is damaged. Sometimes this damage is minimal and heals with a bit of time and care. Other times, your loved one’s heart can fail because it can’t keep up with the demands of the rest of his body. Heart failure can be temporary and his heart may recover again after a period of time. Your loved one’s doctor will let you know how severe the heart failure is and what needs to be done to help his heart recover.

Ruptured Heart

In extreme cases, some parts of your loved one’s heart may become so weakened that they actually rupture. This means that a hole forms in an area of the heart. Very rarely these weakened areas can be spotted and repaired before they do serious damage. All too often, the rupture occurs in an unusual area or in one that is not easily reachable before the damage is too severe.

Unusual Heart Rhythms

Unusual heart rhythms, also called arrhythmia, happens when the heart is damaged and doesn’t regain its normal rhythm. This can also be very temporary, lasting just until your loved one’s heart repairs itself and recovers its normal function. For some people, arrhythmia can last for the rest of their lives. Your loved one’s doctor may recommend a pacemaker or other treatments to help your loved one’s heart to maintain a healthy rhythm.

Problems with Heart Valves

Your loved one’s heart valves can also become damaged during a heart attack. Heart valves are responsible for helping the blood to pump and flow properly and once damaged they can’t do that any longer. After a heart attack, your loved one’s heart valves may no longer work in concert with the rest of the heart or they may leak, allowing blood to flow backward.

While your loved one’s doctor is an important person to talk to about these potential problems, your loved one’s senior care providers have a lot of experience helping loved ones recover from a heart attack. They can help you to be aware of what to look for in the event one of these problems is facing your loved one.

For more information about how the caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable home care in La Costa, CA, and the surrounding communities.

Brittnei Salerno

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