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Sooner a patient seeks professional help the efficiency and effectiveness in the diagnosis and treatment are dramatically higher. Procrastination from the patients’ side has been majorly due to the perceived inconvenience in accessing healthcare at large and the fear of contracting the Coronavirus – especially in the last six months. However digital healthcare has provided patients with a potent solution to seek help instantly with a verified doctor 24x7.
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According to the Indian Heart Association heart disease is the number one cause of mortality and a silent epidemic among Indians claiming nearly three million lives every year. Unfortunately our country has the highest number of heart disease patients across the world and contributes to a massive six crore people being newly diagnosed every year. As the numbers are still on an exponential rise various studies have claimed that people with pre-existing heart conditions have an 11.6 % higher risk of mortality due to the COVID infection. The biggest reason for people losing their lives due to heart ailments in India is attributed to a lack of awareness about the prevailing condition and the reluctance or delay in seeking adequate medical attention. Hence it becomes all the more important to understand these cardiac symptoms and seek timely help.
Heart disease is a chronic medical condition that needs meticulous management. A patient once diagnosed requires holistic treatment including immediate medical attention lifestyle modification consistent and long-term monitoring and in most cases a lifetime of oral medication. Digitisation makes every step of this process convenient and simple for the patient and the doctor. Patients can now reach doctors virtually anywhere and anytime to get timely advice and help instead of relying on self-diagnosis. For the patient there are apps like Practo which help with online and offline appointments diagnostics and medicine delivery.
To be attributed to Dr Alexander Kuruvilla Chief Healthcare Strategy Officer Practo
Quote from a cardiologist
Dr Rajpal Singh R.L Director Cardiology Fortis Hospitals Bannerghatta Road Bangalore also consults on Practo
"During these pandemic times it is important for patients with heart conditions to take extra care and follow all prescribed medications regularly. Strict adherence to a healthy diet abstaining from excess alcohol intake smoking cessation regular exercise are pillars on which one can build a lower risk profile. One must remember that viruses like COVID-19 will only increase the risk in patients who already have heart-related ailments. Hence it becomes necessary to follow all precautions including frequent sanitization wearing masks and staying away from people who have COVID-19. The golden rule when it comes to heart diseases is that the shorter the time in seeking help the higher the chances of the heart muscle being saved. This will in turn result in lesser irreversible damage and a lower risk to life while providing better short-term as well as long-term outcomes."
