Medications used for cardiac patients vary as the diseases. Mind you, the diseases themselves are not distinguishable by patients. In a layman’s language, most of the medications used for cardiac patients are termed at improving the blood flow to damaged heart muscles.
Why medication for heart patients?
Medicines such as digoxin, beta blockers (atenolol and metaprolol) help reduce palpitations (rapid heart beat) in patients. Heart beat increases for various reasons and sustained rapidness needs to be normalized. This can be a warning signal.
Ibutilide is also used at times to normalize the rhythm. The drug belonging to this group needs to be used under medical supervision and is administered via IV to arms.
How do medications benefit cardiac patients?
Beta blockers are for example given to patients with angina, arrhythmias and hypertension. For example angina is a heart condition marked by paroxysms of chest pain due to reduced supply of oxygen to the heart. Arrhythmias mean abnormal rhythmic contractions of heart muscle. Both these are marked by some extreme kinds of pain with heart beat shooting up which needs to be interrupted at once. Beta blockers act by blocking the adrenalin at action points (receptor cells) so that heart beat reduces so will the pain and demand for oxygen. Some of the other medicines used here are verapamil, diltiazam and these are actually amiodarone, disopyramide and calcium antagonists.
Congestive heart failures render heart muscle rather weakened as does angina. Digitalis is useful for its effects on the conducting system and inotropic effects. It increases the strength while resetting regularity for heart beat. One popular brand name is digoxin.
Then there are nitro-glycerin based drugs that are used in the treatment of angina pectoris. These are used when blood needs to be dilated as in this case (angina pectoris), so that a cardiac patient is less likely to develop myocardial oxygen deficiency. Nitro-glycerin reduces strain on heart muscles to a great extent.
However none of these medications are OTC and self medication can be destructive rather than being helpful. While, even the common medications for cardiac ailments are used under medical advice and supervision, these are dosaged and scheduled by close observation and according to an individual patient’s severity and physiology. However common the Medications used for Cardiac Patients may be, taking liberty with them is akin to welcoming Satan home.