7 Tips For Going Back To Work After A Heart Attack | Cardiovascular Disorders and Diseases articles | Body & Health Conditions center

Getting back to work after having suffered a heart attack may be scary, particularly since heart attack survivors will have to fight off the constant anxiety of being exposed to another one. The good news is that people can return to work about two to four weeks after having suffered a heart attack, and there are tips to help them prepare for this.

1. Assessing the rehabilitation plan

Naturally, the nature of the work you do contributes to how fast you can resume your work life. If you work at an office and don’t have any demanding manual labor to do, you should be able to return to work faster. However, if your job involves physical strain, you will have to talk to your doctor about going back to work. Unless you've been cleared for work, the doctor might suggest staying at home a bit longer until they are 100 percent sure your work won't put you at further risk.

You will typically need a medical certificate to be able to resume work after a heart attack. Certain questions need to be answered before you return to work, as well:

Is the nature of your work going to affect your recovery period?
Should you work for fewer hours at first?
Are you putting in any physical effort that might expose you to danger?

Getting back to work often helps people resume their normal routine and can be beneficial for physical and mental health. However, that is not for the heart attack survivor to decide on their own.

2. Feeling tired is normal

Don’t panic if, during the first days back at work, you feel more tired than you did before your heart attack. To make this transition easier, think of some of the tasks you perform at work and include them in your daily routine while you’re still at home. For example, if your job involves a lot of walking, try to take walks before returning to work to help you get back into the rhythm.

3. Talking to your employer about your needs after a heart attack

Your employer needs to know about your current medical situation. Based on the medical certificate your doctor will provide, you will have to talk to your employer about getting back to work, particularly if you’re going to need special working conditions.

In some situations, people who have suffered a heart attack might have to resume their work in phases, taking on just a few of the previous tasks, and gradually moving forward towards the more demanding and complicated ones. People whose jobs involve demanding manual labor can talk to their employers to switch to lighter activities (maybe some administrative duties) before they have been cleared by their doctor to handle more demanding physical work.

4. Understanding the stress factor

Stress is one of the risk factors for heart attack. People who are under a lot of stress are likely to have elevated blood pressure, which can lead to damaging the inner lining of the artery walls, making these lesions more prone to attract cholesterol deposits. Stress can impact the health negatively in many different ways, and returning to work might trigger periods of stress that are best avoided.

Stress can lead to lifestyle choices such as overeating, smoking, or drinking alcohol. These are all firm no-nos after a heart attack. Before going back to work, you have to ask yourself if your job is stressful, and how that could further impact your heart’s health.

When people are feeling stressed, their bodies release the adrenaline hormone, which can cause hypertension and make the heart beat faster. Try to find relaxation techniques that can help you unwind when you’re feeling overwhelmed.

5. Seeing a therapist

It’s not uncommon for a heart attack to trigger negative emotions, particularly fear and anxiety. People who have survived a life-threatening event will live in fear of it occurring once again, this time with more devastating consequences.

When fear and anxiety take over, you are unable to resume your normal life, in which case seeing a therapist can go a long way. Discussing your feelings and fears with a specialist can guide you towards having a positive attitude. Taking care of your mental health is important because negative feelings and emotions have an impact on your physical health as well.

6. Driving after a heart attack

Plenty of people only get to work by using their personal car, so it’s important to consider car safety in such a situation. Some people also drive for a living, whether it’s a car, a forklift, or an airplane.

It’s important to talk to a specialist for an assessment on the safety of your operating a vehicle if you’ve suffered from a heart attack. In general, people with a vocational license that have to drive passenger vehicle for a living will have to wait about four weeks before being assessed by a cardiologist.

7. Considering early retirement

Some people who have survived a heart attack and switch jobs to have a less stressful and physically demanding workplace. If that doesn’t work out for you, you may be able to consider early retirement. This is an important decision to consider, and you should give it plenty of thought (and do it for the right reason). It’s an option to discuss with your doctor and family first, as one should never retire because of anxiety or fear.

Conclusion

Resuming your activities after a heart attack can be physically and mentally beneficial. However, make sure that your job won’t prolong your recovery period. Going back to work a heart attack is a situation that needs to be analyzed from different angles, to make sure that you are making the right choice towards a speedy recovery.

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