Many of us are unaware of the fact that there is a big relationship between heart disease and depression. Yes, studies reveal that depression increases the chances of one developing cardiovascular diseases. But cardiovascular patients with depression are at a higher risk. It is indeed very common to feel low and disheartened after a cardiac event which leaves you depressed. Many of us can overcome this depression and lead a normal life again, but a few people somehow cannot easily get over it. And this prolonged depressed mood and mental stress leads to “depression”.
Depression is a common disorder and it stands in the fourth position as one of the reasons for early death of people. Depression is common in women folk, with around eighteen percent of women suffering from depression.
There is enough evidence to prove that depression is indeed a risk factor for both ischemic heart disease and myocardial infarction (MI). Most of the times, patients develop depression after an MI, also the risk increases with the severity of the depression. That is,the more severe the depression, the higher the chances of death, following a cardiac event like heart attack or blood clot.
Though depression is a common disorder, most of the times it worsens just because it goes undiagnosed and thereby goes untreated. The biggest difficulty in treating depression is to know that, you are actually suffering from it. Yes, it is difficult to diagnose depression after a cardiac event, because the patients tend to show common symptoms like low appetite and fatigue.
It is very essential to treat depression because it improves the quality of your life, and treating patients with both heart disease and depression is even more important because, according to certain evidences, if depression is treated before long, it reduces the risks of adverse cardiac events. But it is also important to know when you have to seek medical help. The answer is simple. If you are facing problems with your relationships due to your swinging moods, then you are sure to have a depression problem. Please bear in mind that depression can get even worse if it is not treated properly. So, talk to your doctor who can diagnose your problem and start treating you.
Medical treatments are very important to recover from depression, but below are a few tips which can help you to cope up with depression at an even better pace.
- Exercise regularly
- Have a rich, nutritious diet.
- Include stress management sessions like yoga in your routine.
- Make it a point to get a good night’s sleep
Along with timely medical treatment, support from the family is also equally important. This will make the heart patient feel better. Finally, early detection and treatment of depression in heart patients is very important because depression itself can be a risk factor for heart disease, not just a factor in its severity. A mind free of depression plays a vital role in helping the heart patient recover at a better pace and also lead a quality life.
