There is a wealth of information on the internet, and Cardiology conditions are no exception to this. Sometimes it can become quite confusing what web pages to trust and where you should look to in order to get an understanding of your Cardiology condition.

In addition to our resources like Recap Health, you may also be able to find additional information on your specific condition through the library of videos and sound resources we have.

During your initial assessment your Nurse, Physiotherapist or Exercise physiologist may ask you whether your have checked your blood pressure. Managing your blood pressure is important for cardiovascular health. Please don't worry if you don't have a blood pressure monitor, we can ask your GP to do this on your behalf. If you want to consider investing in a Blood pressure (BP) monitor, speak to your pharmacy who may be able to help.

There are some occasions where checking blood pressure is important i.e. changes to medication and heart failure management.

Below is a video on how to check your blood pressure.

We hope that you'll never need to deliver CPR, but it is an important skill which could help to save a life if someone's heart stops beating. Each year over 30,000 people have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK, with less than one in ten surviving - giving CPR and using a defibrillator can more than double someone’s chance of survival.

The below video shows you how you and your family can learn CPR and potentially save a life. 

Cholesterol is a natural fatty substance in your blood. It’s produced in the liver and it's also in some of the foods we eat. Cholesterol is important to keep the cells in our bodies healthy. However, High cholesterol is where you have too much cholesterol in your blood. There are many things that can cause this. It is important to reduce your cholesterol after a heart attack to prevent this happening again in future. 

The below video also explains a bit more about cholesterol. 

If you have had a heart attack, you may be sent home with a GTN spray. This little red bottle should then be kept with you when you're at home and go out. If you experience chest pain, you should use your GTN spray. 

  • Sit down, stay calm 
  • Use your GTN spray under your tongue
  • Wait for 5 minutes 
  • If still pain/tightness, repeat the GTN spray
  • Wait for 5 minutes 
  • If still in pain, stay calm and dial 999 for an ambulance 

The GTN spray works by opening up the blood vessels in your body. It can cause you to feel dizzy or lightheaded, so please make sure you sit down when you take this.

 

Podcasts

Below you will be able to find some useful podcasts which may help you understand your cardiac condition more. 

When you leave hospital following your cardiac event, you may be sent home with a large amount of new medications to help support your heart and recovery. Whilst your cardiac nurse will explain all these medications to you, it can sometimes be useful to understand this and hear the information a number of times so you truly understand what you are taking. Take a listen to the below podcast on "heart drugs" by the British Heart Foundation.

Listen to Heart Drugs - The Facts by British Heart Foundation in BHF Podcasts playlist online for free on SoundCloud

Your pulse rate, also known as your heart rate, is the number of times your heart beats per minute. A normal resting heart rate should be between 60 to 100 beats per minute, but it can vary from minute to minute. This might be slightly different dependent upon your age and health so it’s important to remember that a ‘normal’ pulse can vary from person to person. Additionally, if you've had a specific cardiac procedure, you may find your pulse rate is slightly different. If you are worried that your heart rate is abnormal then please speak to your Cardiac team or your GP.

Below you will be able to hear what a regular and irregular heart rate sounds like.