How do you relieve chest tightness and shortness of breath in winter, just one year after getting a stent?

The arrival of the beginning of winter means that winter has officially entered. Some patients who have just had stent surgery will experience chest tightness, shortness of breath, etc. This puzzled them. Why did their condition not improve even though they had a stent installed? How to alleviate this situation?

In order to help you figure out the reasons, Xiaowei will explain the reasons in detail.

This situation may be related to these two reasons:

1. The temperature difference is too large

When the weather is cold, the activity of the human body's sympathetic nervous system will increase, thereby increasing the heart rate, increasing peripheral vascular resistance, and increasing blood pressure. For patients who have just received a stent and are still recovering and adjusting, it may increase the burden on the heart.

Not only that, the vascular endothelium at the stent site is still in the recovery stage, and the low temperature in winter can easily induce vasospasm near the stent implantation, leading to myocardial ischemia, hypoxia, and chest tightness and shortness of breath. .

2. Psychological factors

After stent implantation, some patients are too nervous and focus too much on the precordial area, which causes psychological discomfort, anxiety and other emotions. The symptom of chest tightness is what we often call postoperative "heart disease".

At this point, everyone understands that chest tightness and shortness of breath have nothing to do with the stent.

So, how to relieve this symptom?

1. Keep warm

Warm reminder: It is recommended to keep the indoor temperature at around 20 degrees Celsius. If your home has heating, you can use a humidifier to prevent Air dry.

2. Measure blood pressure and take medicine on time

You should take medicine on time under the guidance of a doctor, monitor blood pressure at any time, and keep records of blood pressure and medicine taking. When you go out, take your medicine with you and do not stop taking it at will. Otherwise, it will easily lead to recurrence or even worsening of the disease, which not only reduces the quality of life, but may also lead to fatal changes in severe cases.

Warm reminder: For the elderly who have just received a stent, their blood vessels have poor elasticity and their blood pressure fluctuates greatly. Even if they are not diagnosed with hypertension, Also monitor frequently.

3. Moderate exercise

Some patients do not dare to exercise after the brace is placed, for fear of loosening of the brace and other complications, and they even have difficulty walking. Be careful, even more so in winter, never leave the front door or take a single step forward.

In fact, you don’t need to be so nervous. Although the weather is cold after the beginning of winter, you should still do moderate exercise to help improve cardiopulmonary function and reduce the chance of recurrence after stent surgery. It is recommended to do walking, running, Tai Chi and other exercises at least 5 times a week for at least 30 minutes a day. Do not be too tired. In addition, avoid exercising in the morning when the temperature is low, which can stimulate blood vessels and easily cause discomfort.

Warm reminder: Under normal circumstances, patients who usually lack exercise will also have symptoms such as shortness of breath and palpitation after sudden strenuous exercise. This is a manifestation of a decrease in the body's overall activity tolerance and has nothing to do with whether a stent is implanted. . Patients with coronary heart disease need a gradual recovery process after going through a special period of hospitalization and surgery to implant stents, and avoid engaging in high-intensity strenuous exercise immediately after discharge.

4. Review on time

Regular review can help you understand your treatment and medication status in time, and adjust the plan to achieve the best effect of the stent.

5. Psychological adjustment

Keep a happy mood, reduce the mental burden, and avoid emotions of great joy and sorrow, which will affect postoperative recovery.

In short, we should keep warm after the beginning of winter and don’t let the cold irritate our hearts. If chest tightness or shortness of breath occurs repeatedly, especially if it is related to labor, you should go to the hospital for review in time. For those whose symptoms last for more than half an hour, it is necessary to consider whether there is acute thrombosis in the stent. It is recommended to call 120 immediately to go to the hospital for examination to avoid delaying the condition.

The professional content of this article was reviewed by Chief Physician Xue Yingsheng, Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Taizhou Hospital, Zhejiang Province