TOLEDO, Ohio — Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, but there are things you can do now to lower your risk.
"Once you work with them, you'll get stronger, but you've got to have the will to do it yourself," says William Brock, a patient at ProMedica's Skilled Nursing and Rehab Center.
Brock recently had fluid drained from his chest and prior to that, he had a stent put in after noticing shortness of breath while shoveling snow.
"I shoveled my driveway out and that's when I got short of breath and I thought 'something's wrong with me here. Something I did wrong,'" he recalls.
Brock is appreciative of his treatment at the rehab facility in Sylvania. The goal is to get patients who just left the hospital for a variety of reasons, including cardiac surgeries, ready to manage their conditions at home.
"Heart health is a huge factor in everything we do here," says Director of Rehab Anthony Guinn.
Guinn says that goes for every patient, regardless of what condition they came in for. Staff works with patients to know their numbers and communicate with their doctors to put together a plan to keep them healthy.
"Specifically to heart health, we're looking at energy conservation, educating on risk factors, things that can elevate their risk of having a cardiovascular disease," says Guinn.
They also teach the patients what to look for as they work towards getting back to their normal lives. Guinn says, "This is how you monitor your vitals while you're doing this and how you assess if you're getting in to the range where maybe it's too much activity."
ProMedica Nurse Practitioner Janet Caygill says education is a huge piece when it comes to patients with heart disease and that education, with a big focus on diet and lifestyle changes, is also for caregivers.
"As far as smoking, a lot of people need to be educated. Not only should the patient not smoke, but you shouldn't smoke around the patient," says Caygill.
Patients are encouraged to follow up regularly with their family doctor to stay on top of their numbers.
Brock says making good lifestyle choices is key, as well as listening to your body and keeping a positive attitude. "If you don't have that, you're not gonna get far," he says.