Changes In Urination And Bowel Movements
Although not as common, changes in urination can be symptoms of heart failure. Some people experience an increased urge to urinate at night, while others will urinate more often during the day. Constipation can also develop due to heart failure, and straining or pushing to pass a bowel movement will further aggravate the symptoms. Both symptoms are indicative of the bodys inability to properly function due to the inconsistent blood supply.
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Watch For These Symptoms
As the heart muscle loses strength, it often cannot handle the buildup of fluid, which can leak into the lungs, abdomen, feet, and legs. People with CHF can experience shortness of breath with exertion while lying down or even while doing simple daily activities. People may awaken at night breathless and require pillows to prop themselves up to avoid trouble breathing.
Patients also can experience fatigue, cough with or without exertion, and feet or leg swelling. Keep in mind that all symptoms of heart failure are not exclusive to the disease and could be caused by another condition. The most important first step is to discuss any new or concerning symptoms with your health care provider to determine their cause.
Reversing Congestive Heart Failure
It is possible to reverse congestive heart failure. Once the condition of your heart is assessed, the physician will take further steps to treat your congestive heart failure and start appropriate treatment.
This treatment starts with medications and then other procedures may be done to attempt to help the heart get stronger. There are a lot of medications available that will help in improving the quality of your life.
Cardiac viability tests are non-invasive tests that should be done initially to asses if the heart muscle is still alive and if the hearts condition is reversible. Cardiac viability tests should be done prior to any invasive procedures, to make sure the heart condition is reversible and to see if the invasive procedure is truly needed.
For reversal of this disease, early diagnosis is very important.
Cardiac PET provides one of the best and easiest ways to assess for cardiac viability in all individuals.
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If Heart Failure Cant Be Reversed Can It Be Treated
According to Dr. Jacqueline Joza, a cardiac electrophysiologist and assistant professor of medicine at McGill University, determining how to treat heart failure depends on the underlying cause. Someone with a narrowing of the arteries may first be prescribed medications. For blood pressure, these can include diuretics, beta-blockers or ACE inhibitors, while cholesterol is most often treated with statins. Diabetes is most commonly treated with insulinthough the type and amount will vary depending on your diagnosis.
If your doctor determines that you need surgery to treat your coronary artery disease, they may suggest an angioplasty, which opens up blocked or narrow coronary arteries, or a coronary artery bypass surgery, which redirects blood flow around the narrowed arteries.
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When Should I Consider Euthanizing My Dog Or Cat With Heart Failure
First, let me say that a diagnosis of heart failure is not necessarily an imminent “death sentence”. With the right protocol your dog or cat may be able to live their normal lifespan, or close to it, depending on the severity of the condition at the time the proper cardiovascular support is begun.
Having said that, euthanasia of a family pet is always a difficult, personal decision. In the case of congestive heart failure our recommendation would be to consider this option when your dog or cat has become so uncomfortable, due to fluid buildup, that their quality of life has declined to the point where they are no longer happy. Though it is very difficult to pick the right time, we try to recommend not to wait until the bitter end that prompts a midnight trip to the emergency vet. Instead, have a special last day, make your animal comfortable and arrange for a veterinarian to visit your home. You know your animal and if you pay attention you will be able to tell when they are tired of fighting and ready to go. Also, at this difficult time, we often recommend an animal communicator that can let you know what your animal is feeling so you can use this information to help make your decision.
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Improving Heart Health Naturally5
It is vital to keep your blood pressure under control because the higher your blood pressure, the greater your risk of heart attack, stroke, congestive heart failure, kidney disease, impotence, loss of mental function, and dementia.
Whats more, dramatic increases in heart attack and stroke risk do not begin with readings of 140/90, the numbers that used to define high blood pressure. We now know that serious, life-threatening risks begin at much lower readings like 130/80. Thats why newly published U.S. guidelines state that high blood pressure is now defined as 130 and higher for systolic blood pressure , or 80 and higher for diastolic blood pressure .4
To lower your blood pressure, start with a heart-healthy, lifestyle-based approach like Pritikin.
Most people with high blood pressure, also called hypertension, can control their blood pressure without the need for medications by following the Pritikin Program. Those who still need pills usually require lower dosages and/or fewer pills.
Key guidelines we teach at the Pritikin health resort for lowering blood pressure naturally include:
Heart Disease Starts Early In Life
In the 1950s autopsies looking at the vascular health of young men killed in the Korean War, uncovered that by a very young age, their early 20s, the process of blood vessel damage was well underway as a result of the typical American diet.
The stresses on the heart that culminates in life threatening disease processes were already well under way. With the regular consumption of high animal protein and high animal fat diets, young Americans were sitting time bombs for later cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, stroke and potentially congestive heart failure.
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Nutrition And Dietary Supplements
Heart failure is a serious medical condition and should be treated by conventional medicine. You should never add supplements or complementary and alternative medicine therapies to your regimen unless specifically instructed to do so by your physician. It is best to work with a health care provider trained in the use of nutritional medicine. Many people with heart conditions take multiple medications, including blood-thinning medications, blood pressure medications, and others. The supplements below can interact with these and many other medications and may not be right for people with certain medical conditions. You should use the supplements listed below only under the supervision of your cardiologist, and a doctor who understands the contraindications and interactions associated with these supplements.
Amino acids. A few small studies suggest these amino acids might be helpful for heart failure. More research is needed:
- Arginine . Arginine can lower blood pressure, and may be unsafe to take with blood pressure medications. It may also interact negatively with medications that increase blood flow, such as nitrates, as well as medications used to treat erectile dysfunction.
- Taurine . Taurine can interact with lithium, and may be unsafe in people with bipolar disorder.
Facts About The Heart
Your heart is a muscle, and its job is to pump blood to your entire body, including your organs and brain. It is about the size of your fist, and averages at about 100,000 beats per day. Each one of those beats, pumps blood through a large network of arteries and veins, delivering oxygen to every cell while eliminating waste products, as well as carbon dioxide.The heart produces its own supply of oxygen-rich blood, that is delivered through entryways called coronary arteries.
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Natural Treatment For Congestive Heart Failure
Our aging population has ever more reason to focus on health. Why? Because with age comes a greater risk of illness. A rather unpleasant fact is that congestive heart failure is the leading reason for hospitalization of people over 65. But I can tell you about the main contributing causes for heart failure that are reversible.
Ill also share the important foods and lifestyle factors that can definitely reduce CHF severity and death from CHF. In my article next week, Ill discuss the most important nutrient supplements for CHF treatment.
Ways To Reverse Heart Disease
Heart disease is one of the foremost causes of mortality for men and women in the world. Heart diseases include conditions affecting the heart such as congenital heart disease, congestive heart failure, heart attacks and coronary heart disease. Although there is no cure for heart diseases, with proper medication, surgery and a healthy lifestyle, they may be stalled. Apart from this, what you eat makes a huge difference. Eating plenty of healthy foods like whole grains, vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, seeds and plant oils help improve cholesterol levels and keep the heart healthy.
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Hope After Heart Attack
What is undo it?Ornish Lifestyle Medicine at Geisinger Wyoming ValleyWhat is the Ornish diet?Dr. Bryan Martin, DO, is a cardiologist at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Wilkes-Barre. For more information about Ornish Lifestyle Medicine, visit Geisinger.org or call 570-808-7973.
Geisinger Health Plan may refer collectively to Geisinger Health Plan, Geisinger Quality Options Inc., and Geisinger Indemnity Insurance Company, unless otherwise noted. Geisinger Gold Medicare Advantage HMO, PPO, and HMO D-SNP plans are offered by Geisinger Health Plan/Geisinger Indemnity Insurance Company, health plans with a Medicare contract. Continued enrollment in Geisinger Gold depends on annual contract renewal. Geisinger Health Plan Kids and Geisinger Health Plan Family are offered by Geisinger Health Plan in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services . Geisinger Health Plan is part of Geisinger, an integrated health care delivery and coverage organization.
Symptoms Of Congestive Heart Failure
The symptoms of congestive heart failure are also associated with other diseases and ailments.
In the early stages of congestive heart failure, there is a possibility that you might not feel any changes or symptoms. But as the disease progresses, symptoms appear.
Following symptoms would indicate a person has congestive heart failure:
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What Is The Conventional Treatment For Congestive Heart Failure
Need to decide if we want to mention pulmonary edema, where CHF has gotten so bad that fluid has built up to a dangerous point in the lungs requiring urgent / emergent intervention.
The most important thing that can be done for congestive heart failure is prevent it in the first place by following healthy diet and lifestyle measures throughout your life. Treatment of established congestive heart failure focuses on keeping the disease from worsening. This means controlling blood pressure via lifestyle measures such as diet and exercise, or with medication if diet and exercise dont help. Drugs may be prescribed to slow the progression of the disease by improving the hearts ability to pump blood, decreasing stress on the heart and preventing fluid retention . These medications may include ACE-inhibitors, beta blockers, digoxin, diuretics and, if needed, anticoagulants to thin the blood. Individuals with heart failure should avoid taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, most antiarrhythmic agents unless absolutely necessary , most calcium antagonists, decongestants and antacids containing sodium, which can cause fluid retention.
Q: Is There Anything Else You Would Like People To Know About Preventing Or Reversing Heart Disease
Dr. Tam: Although heart disease is the number one killer of women and men in the U.S., 80% of heart disease is preventable. You can make a big impact on your risk with what you do, how you eat, and how you live. By starting with small steps every day, you can take control of your risk for heart disease.
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Symptoms That Occur First
- Small appearance
- Puffiness around the eyes
However, theres a slight problem when a child is suffering from congestive heart failure. The symptoms mentioned above can very likely be mistaken for a repertory infection or colic. This makes it difficult to diagnose congestive heart failure in children and infants when compared to adults.
If you have any of these symptoms, visit your doctor immediately.
Natural Remedies For Heart Health: Help Or Harm
If you want to keep your heart healthy, you’ll typically do three things: choose nutritious foods, stay active, and toss bad habits like smoking.
But is there a faster way to give your heart an extra boost? Swipe your digital device or turn on the TV and you’ll see ad after ad for natural remedies that can heal your heart and help you live longer. But do they work? A panel of heart doctors and pharmacists take a look at some common herbal supplements and tell you which ones work — and which ones are just hype.
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Conventional Medicine Treatments For Congestive Heart Failure
Traditional medicine treats Congestive Heart Failure with medications starting with:
Other drugs that may be used in the treatment of Congestive Heart Failure include
- spironolactone which has been shown to preserve potassium and reduce the deterioration of CHF
- blood thinners that reduce the risk of blood clots
- antiarrhythmic agents to treat dangerous irregular heart beats
- blood pressure medications when ACE inhibitors are unable to controlthe high blood pressue, or is contraindicated
Employing an orthodox approach of only drugs, greatly reduces the patients chances of repairing their heart.
Doctors Note: Every patient is a chemical individual and must be examined to determine the source of their congestive heart failure.
It is also imperative that each patient be tested for supplements that will neutralize their specific problem. Using a standard protocol for all CHF patients is not realistic and greatly reduces ones chances for success.
The following case study is being presented to demonstrate that in certain situations congestive heart failure can be reversed. This study is not intended to suggest that all congestive heart patients can be treated with the same protocol.
This case study is being presented in the hope that interest will be stimulated among physicians and patients to explore an integrated approach to this most serious malady that is plaguing our population.
Things You Can Do Today To Prevent/reverse Heart Disease
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Heart Disease And Diet
The most effective method for reversing heart disease is through a healthy diet, so these nutrition tips are key. Lets take a look at a few of the main nutrients connected to cardiovascular health and how they can help you prevent and reverse heart disease.
Sodium
Too much sodium in the diet can cause hypertension and can also cause the body to hold onto excess fluid. This forces the heart to work harder, and it can lead to heart attack, stroke, and heart disease.
Most of the sodium in our diet comes from restaurants and fast food as well as processed, frozen, and canned foods.
Dietary Cholesterol
Youve probably been advised at some point to limit your intake of eggs and red meat because of their cholesterol content. Not to be confused with the cholesterol found in the bloodstream, dietary cholesterol has had an undeservedly bad reputation for years.
Nutrition scientists are in agreement, however, that consumption of dietary cholesterol has little effect on your levels of blood cholesterol .
In fact, the recently published 2015 U.S. Dietary Guidelines removed the previous recommendation to limit the consumption of cholesterol.
That means you have the green light to go ahead and enjoy that omelet.
Saturated Fat
Saturated fat has long been tied to heart health. Dairy foods and meats are the main culprits when it comes to saturated fat. Studies have shown that reducing the intake of saturated fat can cut heart disease risk, but what you replace it with is crucial.
Trans Fat
Chd Vs Cad Vs Atherosclerosis
- Many people use the names coronary artery disease and coronary heart disease interchangeably.
- Coronary artery disease is considered the most common type of heart disease. It occurs when theres a blockage of one or more arteries that supply blood to the heart.
- In the first stage of heart disease, called angina, blood flow to the heart is restricted. When blood flow stops, theres a myocardial infarction, also known as a heart attack. The combination of these two conditions is what many doctors are referring to when they say coronary heart disease .
- What is atherosclerosis, and how does it differ from CHD/CAD? When someone has CHD or CAD, the buildup of substances inside their arteries is what is referred to as arteriosclerosis . The definition of arteriosclerosis is a disease of the arteries characterized by the deposition of plaques of fatty material on their inner walls.
- Arteriosclerosis refers to hardening and thickening of the walls of the arteries. It is often said to be partly a function of aging. Over time the smooth, elastic arterial cells become more fibrous and stiff. Calcium, cholesterol particles and fatty acids accumulate on arterial walls and form a swelling called an atheroma. Atheroma are capable of bursting, causing blood clots, and leading to heart attacks or strokes. In populations that eat an unprocessed diet, far less inflammation-caused arteriosclerosis and heart disease are present.
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