Is it Normal to Feel Tired After a Stent?

Did your doctor advise you for a stent placement? Or are you someone who has recently gone through one? Or is it normal to feel tired after a stent? If so, I am sure that you would like to know about some post-surgical issues.

Stent placement is a very common surgical procedure in today’s time. Nearly one million Americans have stents placed in their body. But, the doctors often face a complaint from patients.

Most patients feel tired after stent placement. They cannot nearly pass the day without taking short naps. This stent fatigue and exhaustion scares them about their health.

Well, is it normal to feel tired after a stent? If this is such a regularly complained issue, what are the ways to combat this?

Today we are going to discuss everything that we need to know about the consequences of stent placement. Continue reading this article to know more on this topic!

Table of Content

What is a Stent Placement?

A stent is a small tube inserted to open a blocked blood vessel. Though it is a tiny tube, it can play a big role in keeping the body well-functioning.

Is it Normal to Feel Tired After a Stent?

The stent can restore the flow of blood that has been disturbed by plaque. Plaque is the cholesterol gathered in the walls of the artery. It can reduce the flow of blood to the heart.

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Reduction of blood flow refers to coronary heart disease. This might result in chest pain and heart attack.

Stent placement is needed to treat such health conditions. Most of the time a coat of medication is present on the stents. This helps to prevent the formation of scar tissue.

Stents can be of both metal and plastic. They can also be formed with fabric. Physicians use stent-grafts made of fabric to treat larger arteries.

Symptoms After Stent Placement/Is it Normal to Feel Tired After a Stent?

After stent placement, most patients face some common symptoms. These symptoms are the result of the sudden intervention of foreign particles in the body.

Bruise and discoloration of the area can happen. Soreness upon applying pressure is a natural post-surgical symptom. Do not get afraid if you find a small lump in the place of intervention.

Many patients feel tired after stent placement. This tiredness can last for several days. Fatigue after a heart attack and stent placement can last as long as six weeks.

You can also suffer from shortness of breath after a stent implant. Such symptoms happen as the heart keeps on healing.

Recovery after a heart attack and stent  insertion might be tiresome. It can take some more time than usual stent implantation.

During this period it is important to eat healthy food with proper nutritional value as per the doctor’s suggestion.

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What to Avoid After Stent?

Your doctor will hand you a list of instructions while you will be leaving your hospital after implanting a stent. Some of them might look trivial but to stay in a good condition, it is extremely important to follow those.

Besides those instructions, you have to maintain some basic rules in your life. Let us quickly check what are the things that you have to avoid after stent!

Keeping the area wet

Avoid the contact of water on the area of insertion for 24 to 48 hours. If the place gets wet, it might result in other complications.

Avoid strenuous activity

Stop yourself from any kind of activity that will work up the heart. As the body has gone through a hard time, it is better to take a rest for the maximum amount of time.

Do not go for swimming

Swimming is an activity that can make a healthy person tired! It requires a lot of strength and effort. A patient who has gone through a stent placement should even avoid bathing for a week.

Quit smoking

Smoking is the first bad habit that you have to quit for a better life. Researches show that smoking increases the heart rate. Smoking can also cause irregular heart rhythm and high blood pressure.

Avoid sexual intercourse

Resuming your sexual life may take some time after performing stent placement. It largely depends on the place of insertion.

If the insertion is done through the groin that waits till the area is healed. In the case of arms, you can get back to your sexual life after some days.

Stress and Overthinking

Perform a stress test after stent to know where your body stands at the moment. A lower stress rate is best for the heart to recover faster.

Many patients face trouble sleeping after a stent due to over-stressing and overthinking. Give your body enough rest and sleep after the surgery.

Reduce Salt intake

Sodium can raise the risk of coronary heart disease. It is one of the main causes of raising blood pressure. After stent placement does not indulge in any food that has high sodium content.

Limit Sugar Content

Sugar is no less of a criminal to compromise the condition of the heart. The raised blood sugar might result in type 2 diabetes.

Furthermore, sugar also has a connection with obesity. All together, sugar can accelerate the chances of more severe health conditions. You can take organic supplements for balancing sugar.

What are The Side Effects of Stents?

Every surgical operation has some side effects. Some are minor and some are major.

But, none of these should be neglected because something that is looking petty right now might turn into something severe.

To know what to expect after a stent surgery, check out the enlisted side effects:

  • An allergic reaction to any of the used medications
  • Blood clots
  • Anesthesia might leave a trail of breathing problem
  • An infection in the area of placement
  • A heart attack
  • A heart attack
  • A blocked artery
  • Allergic reaction to the metal component used in stent
  • Soreness of the insertion area
  • Vomiting after stent placement

A stent insertion might also be the reason for pain in that particular area. If you are still having pains after having a stent, continue taking your prescribed painkillers.

These side effects may or may not take place. However, doctors are the best decision-makers in such cases. So, consulting with a doctor upon seeing any of these side effects will help to treat the complications faster.

Benefits of Stenting

Stenting can be a life-saving decision for a person suffering from narrow arteries. Sometimes we do not understand the necessity of something until it harms us immensely.

Many of us are unaware of our internal health condition. We remain unknowing of how our involuntary organs are working.

Meanwhile, the heart, one of the most important organs, might get heavily affected. But, medical science has advanced to a greater peak now. With the insertion of a stent, we can get back a better life.

Through the process of stenting, a person can artificially bring the arteries into a better functioning stable state.

It reduces the pressure from the heart and creates a wider road for the blood to flow. Breathlessness and chest pain lessens through the insertion of the stent.

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Stent Rejection

Can your body reject a stent? Unfortunately, the answer is yes! The body can reject a stent. But, this is a very rare sight.

The stent is a foreign material that is inserted into the body. The intervention can cause a disturbance in some patients.

For most people stents work perfectly. Other than the basic side effects, most patients do not face any other problems.

But, if a patient is allergic to the metal used in the mesh wire of the stent, the body can immediately reject it. A patient must tell his history to the doctor beforehand.

There is a history of stents collapsing too! During the aspiration process, this might take place. Unusual excessive negative pressure should be avoided to stop the stent collapse.

Post-Stenting Food Habit

A well-balanced diet can do wonders after you have placed a stent in your body. With proper nutrition, the heart can function like before.

Sometimes patients complain about acid reflux after a heart stent. It happens when the food contains excess fat and spices.

Author Tips: How to Erase Acid Reflux & Improve Your Digestion☑️

Besides light exercise and proper rest, have the following food to recover soon-

  1. Fish – Salmon, mackerel, and sardines can provide the necessary Omega-3 fats.
  2. Whole Grains – Have brown rice, oats, wholemeal pasta for better digestion.
  3. Dairy – Eat low-fat milk and curd to boost your immunity.
  4. Healthy protein – Include eggs, chicken breast, and tofu in your meals. This will ensure the protein in the diet.

Try having some nuts and fruits with the enlisted foods. Include Vitamin B6, magnesium malate, and cinnamon in your diet. This will help you stay healthy after stenting.

Conclusion

Just like you, every day many patients ask the same question – “is it normal to feel tired after stent?” I know that you have already received your answer.

Our health is our greatest treasure. It is important to do things that keep our heart and mind in good condition.

If the doctors have recently inserted a stent in your body, know that you will be fine after some time. Follow your doctor’s advice and keep enjoying the beauty of life!

The FAQs About Stent Placement

Doctors are mostly suggesting stent placement and angioplasty to treat problems related to heart. These medical conditions can become severe if not treated properly.

But, people often get afraid to place a stent and perform angioplasty as they are tangled with questions in their mind. We are presenting you with some answers that will help you take your decision faster.

Angioplasty is used to widen the narrowed veins to treat coronary difficulties. This is a very commonly performed procedure in medical science.
A research was conducted on thousands of patients who went through angioplasty. The researchers found out that most of them were doing fine even after five years.
If there are no complications, then a person can get back to a regular healthy life after angioplasty. Angioplasty increases the life expectancy among patients.

Breathlessness can be an issue after a considerable amount of time has passed by. Shortness of breath after stent implant might occur if the stent plaque blocks the stent.
Patients might also run out of breath if they do not follow the instructions given by the doctor. Avoid doing any kind of strenuous work.
Do not perform any kind of heavy-lifting. Finally, take a stress test as soon as you face breathlessness after stenting.

Heart problems might return even after a stent procedure. If your stent is blocked you will face the problems that were there before placing the stent.
Plaque might block the arteries once again after some time. The symptoms are similar to the pre-stent stage as it includes chest pain (angina), shortness of breath, and fatigue.
If you find any such symptoms, consult with your doctor. The performing of a stress test will help to provide more accurate results in this case.

A heart attack can change how the body functions. The body needs special care and treatment to gain back the lost energy.
Tiredness after heart surgery makes people weaker than before. During this time it is important to have healthy food.
Also, make sure that you are getting enough rest. Avoid smoking and strenuous activity to recover faster.
To remove shortness of breath after a heart attack, practice light walking, and follow a healthy routine.

A stent can stay in the body for several years without causing any problem. By placing a stent, the body gets rid of the risks of severe coronary disease.
There is a negligible amount of possibility to redo the stent. Usually, if there is a chance of narrowing of arteries, it happens within six to nine months. If the first stent fails or does not serve the purpose properly, another stent can be placed.

Research References:

  1. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/007473.htm
  2. https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=92&contentid=P07981
  3. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronary-angioplasty/
  4. https://health.ucsd.edu/specialties/cardiovascular/programs/arterial-vascular-disease/Pages/angioplasty-stent.aspx
  5. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/stents
  6. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/when-do-you-need-a-heart-stent
  7. https://www.wjmc.org/our-services/heart-vascular-care/stent-placement/
  8. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stent
  9. https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/full/10.1148/rg.246045033
  10. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/coronary-angioplasty/about/pac-20384761

Wish you healthy hearth and Healthy Life!

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