Heart failure is a condition that affects approximately six million American and each year, about 670,000 people living in the United States are diagnosed with this heart condition. Research has shown that it is the principal cause of hospitalization for people who are older than sixty-five years of age.
People erroneously believe that when they are told that a loved one’s heart ‘failed,’ it means it has stopped. That is an incorrect assumption.
Heart failure is a condition in which the muscle of the heart doesn’t pump as much blood as it ought to. So heart failure does not imply that the heart has stopped doing its job altogether; instead, your heart does not pump as much blood as the body needs.
Now, when the heart cannot pump enough blood, the human body tries to adjust to this strange condition by:
• Holding on to water and salt, thus increasing the amount of blood in your veins and arteries;
• The heart begins to beat faster;
• The heart may become bigger.
The body is a fantastic machine that has inherent ability to compensate for heart failure. Sometimes, your body may even do such an excellent job that you may not even be aware that you have a heart condition that requires careful monitoring.
But there comes a time when the human body and the heart can no longer cope with the stress. At this point, fluid begins to build up in your body and symptoms like weakness and out of breath sets in. This is known as congestion.
Heart failure gets worse after a while, but it is treatable. The treatment of heart failure can slow down the disease, thus ensuring long life and better health.
A lot of things could cause heart failure which affects how well the heart pumps blood. But the most common causes of heart failure are high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, and heart attack. Other conditions which could bring about heart failure include:
• Pericarditis (pericardial disease);
• Diabetes;
• Heart valve disease;
• Cardiomyopathies;
• Arrhythmia;
• Congenital heart defect;
• Alcohol abuse, when done long-term, damages the heart;
The following are the symptoms associated with heart failure:
• Weakness and fatigue;
• Reduced ability to perform exercises;
• Edema of the ankles, feet, and legs;
• Irregular heartbeat;
• Nausea;
• Lack of appetite;
• Decreased alertness
• palpitations;
• Chest pain (usually occurs when heart failure is caused by a heart attack);
• Becoming short of breath when you exert yourself;
As the condition worsens, fluid begins to develop in the lungs as well as other parts of the body, leading to the following:
• Having swollen ankles, legs, and feet;
• You start gaining weight;
• Feeling the need to pass urine frequently, especially at night;
• Wheezing and coughing, especially when you are lying down;
• Feeling sick to your stomach;
To diagnose heart failure, you may need to undergo blood tests or have a chest X-ray. You may also be subjected to the following:
• Magnetic resonance imaging – this displays the structure of your heart to check how well it is performing or pumping;
• ECG (electrocardiogram) – This piece of equipment is used to test the electric system of your heart;
• Echocardiogram – This machine is used to see the shape and size of your heart as well as how well it is pumping.
To treat heart failure, you may need to use several medicines prescribed by medical practitioners. The medicines – which includes ACE inhibitors, hydralazine (a vasodilator), angiotensin II receptor, and beta-blockers – are meant to do the following:
• Prevents the heart condition from getting worse;
• Minimize symptoms of heart failure so that you start feeling better;
• Deal with the cause of heart failure.
