What Are The Symptoms Of Heart Failure

What Are The Types Of Heart Failure

There are many causes of heart failure, but the condition is generally broken down into two types:

Heart failure with reduced left ventricular function The lower left chamber of the heart gets bigger and cannot squeeze hard enough to pump the right amount of oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body.

Heart failure with preserved left ventricular function The heart contracts and pumps normally, but the bottom chambers of the heart are thicker and stiffer than normal. Because of this, the ventricles can’t relax properly and fill up all the way. Because there’s less blood in the ventricles, less blood is pumped out to the rest of the body when the heart contracts.

What Are The Symptoms

Some are easy to confuse with normal aging or other diseases. The more advanced your heart failure, the more likely you are to have many symptoms, or the changes that youâve noticed in yourself will worsen.

These are common ways that heart failure can affect you:

Shortness of breath. Heart failure can make it hard to breathe when you walk up a flight of stairs. With advanced heart failure, you may get winded in a shorter period of time, or you may have trouble even when youâre sitting still.

Sleep problems. Heart failure can make it hard to breathe or catch your breath when you lie in bed. You may have trouble nodding off to sleep, or you might wake up in the middle of the night gasping for air. Try sleeping while propped up on two or more pillows instead of lying flat. Advanced heart failure makes it even more likely youâll have trouble breathing when youâre at rest. That means your bedtime problems will probably get worse, too.

Coughing. You may already have a dry cough that acts up when youâre lying in bed. You might cough often during the day, and your phlegm could have a slight pink tint to it. That means thereâs a bit of blood in the gunk youâre coughing up. Advanced heart failure can make that cough worse, especially when youâre lying down.

Fatigue. Heart failure can make you feel worn out. Things that wouldnât have tired you out in the past suddenly do. Youâre more likely to feel tired all of the time with advanced heart failure.

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If your family member has recently been diagnosed with congestive heart failure, now may be the ideal time to consider home health care. A home care service provider can be with your loved one on a customized schedule that is right for your family.

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If you or an aging loved one are considering home health care services in Florida, contact the caring staff at Sonas Home Health Care. Call today .

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What Is Heart Failure

The term “heart failure” can be frightening. It doesn’t mean the heart has “failed” or stopped working. It means the heart doesn’t pump as well as it should.

Heart failure is a major health problem in the United States, affecting about 5.7 million Americans. About 550,000 new cases of heart failure occur each year. It’s the leading cause of hospitalization in people older than 65.

If you have heart failure, you’ll enjoy better health and quality of life if you take care of yourself and keep yourself in balance. It’s important to learn about heart failure, how to keep in good balance, and when to call the doctor.

What Is An Ejection Fraction

An ejection fraction is a measurement of the blood pumped out of your heart with each beat, expressed in a percentage. It can be measured using an echocardiogram , multigated acquisition scan, nuclear stress test, magnetic resonance imaging , or during a cardiac catheterization. A normal ejection fraction is between 55% and 70%.

People at this stage may have some slight symptoms like:

• Slight physical limitations
• Shortness of breath with physical activity

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Swelling And Weight Gain

Your feet, ankles, and abdomen are all areas of the body that can swell. Its possible to have some swelling after a workout or on a very hot day. When swelling occurs, its called edema.

Edema happens in heart failure because your kidneys arent able to properly filter sodium. Your heart then releases chemicals that cause the body to hold onto fluid. You might notice that your clothes or shoes no longer fit right, or that youve gained weight unexpectedly or quickly.

Stage C Treatment Options

Treatment at this stage focuses on managing your symptoms, optimizing your heart function, and preventing worsening of your condition.

Medications to treat stage C heart failure include:

• Diuretics to reduce fluid retention
• Digoxin to help the heart beat stronger and more regularly
• Beta blockers to help your heart beat stronger
• Entresto , which reduces the risk of death and hospitalization among patients with chronic heart failure
• SGLT2 inhibitors to help lower blood sugar
• Vasodilators, which are medications that help improve the flow of blood through your vessels
• Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors
• Possible cardiac resynchronization therapy
• Possible implantable cardiac defibrillator therapy

In addition to the lifestyle changes for stages A and B, you may need to make the following changes:

• Reduce your sodium intake
• Restrict fluid intake
• Keep track of your weight daily

Remember that even if the treatment causes your symptoms to get better or stop, you still need to continue treatment to slow the progression of your condition to stage D.

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Why Its Important To Know Your Ef

If you have a heart condition, it is important for you and your doctor to know your EF. Your EF can help your doctor determine the best course of treatment for you. Measuring your EF also helps your healthcare team check how well our treatment is working.

Ask your doctor how often you should have your EF checked. In general, you should have your EF measured when you are first diagnosed with a heart condition, and as needed when your condition changes.

Heart Failure Early Symptoms And Signs

Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle is not able to function in a manner that can sufficiently supply the body with oxygen. Congestive heart failure is the failure of the heart muscle to maintain the circulation, leading to a backup of blood in the veins that causes:

• swelling
• shortness of breath is another common symptom of congestive heart failure that occurs due to fluid buildup in the lungs and
• fatigue and a decreased capacity to exercise are other symptoms that commonly result from heart failure.

Early symptoms and signs may not be apparent, and symptoms may develop only after the condition has progressed over time.

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What Is Ejection Fraction

Ejection fraction refers to how well your left ventricle pumps blood with each heart beat. Most times, EF refers to the amount of blood being pumped out of the left ventricle each time it contracts. The left ventricle is the heart’s main pumping chamber.

Your EF is expressed as a percentage. An EF that is below normal can be a sign of heart failure. If you have heart failure and a lower-than-normal EF , your EF helps your doctor know how severe your condition is.

What Are The Different Types Of Heart Failure

The heart has four chambers through which blood pumps. Newly oxygenated blood is pumped from the lungs to the left atrium and left ventricle and out through the aorta to circulate through the rest of the body. After the oxygen has been used, the blood returns through the veins to the right atrium and right ventricle into the lungs to be re-oxygenated.

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Doctor’s Notes On Heart Failure Early Signs And Symptoms

Heart failure is a condition where the heart muscle is unable to adequately pump blood through the body blood backs up and puts pressure on the blood vessels that cause water to leak out into the tissues of the body and cause signs and symptoms. Heart failure can occur in the right ventricle or the left ventricle of the heart. The following are 8 signs or symptoms of right heart failure and left heart failure:

• Right heart failure symptoms include weight gain that can occur gradually or quickly, leg swelling and/or peripheral edema and increased urination.
• Left heart failure symptoms include shortness of breath on exertion, fatigue and exercise intolerance, shortness of breath when lying flat , paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea and plural effusions .

The causes of all of the symptoms and signs of heart failure are due to the heart muscles inability to adequately pump blood into the arteries that results in an accumulation of fluid within body tissues.

What Diet And Lifestyle Management Techniques Help Heart Failure

Many lifestyle and diet factors can improve, or even reverse, congestive heart failure. Cardiac rehabilitation programs can teach people how to make lifestyle changes, as can integrative cardiology clinics. Some of the lifestyle factors that make a difference include:

• Manage stress by doing mind-body practices such as Tai Chi, yoga, Qi Gong, and meditation
• Take dietary supplements including CoQ10, L-carnitine, Crataegus , magnesium, and fish oil
• Avoiding salt and excess fluids

Talk to your doctor before taking any herbs or supplements.

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What Causes Heart Failure

Heart failure can be caused by many medical conditions that damage the heart muscle. Common conditions are:

• Coronary artery disease affects the arteries that carry blood and oxygen to the heart . The normal lining inside the arteries breaks down, the walls of the arteries become thick, and deposits of fat and plaque partially block the flow of blood. Over time, the arteries become very narrow or completely blocked, which causes a heart attack. The blockage keeps the heart from being able to pump enough blood to keep your organs and tissues healthy. When arteries are blocked, you may have chest pain and other symptoms of heart disease.
• Heart attack. A heart attack happens when a coronary artery suddenly becomes blocked and blood cannot flow to all areas of the heart muscle. The heart muscle becomes permanently damaged and muscle cells may die. Normal heart muscle cells may work harder. The heart may get bigger or stiff .
• Cardiomyopathy. Cardiomyopathy is a term that describes damage to and enlargement of the heart muscle not caused by problems with the coronary arteries or blood flow. Cardiomyopathy can occur due to many causes, including viruses, alcohol or drug abuse, smoking, genetics and pregnancy .
• Tobacco and illicit drug use.
• Medications. Some drugs used to fight cancer can lead to heart failure.

Wellness Wednesdays: Signs And Symptoms Of Heart Failure

Heart disease isn’t just the leading cause of death for Americans. It’s also the leading cause of death in the entire world. But sometimes, it’s difficult to recognize its symptoms and realize when something is serious.

“The Heart Failure Society of America has given us a simple way to remember the 5 early subtle signs of heart failure,” explains Dr. Karen Latimer to AOL Lifestyle. It’s called FACES and it’s an acronym that can help patients identify a problem.

Here’s what FACES stands for, and the symptoms you should never ignore:

Patients should be aware of these common signs of heart failure and bring it to the attention of their doctors. “Any of these symptoms experienced chronically should be discussed with a physician,” Latimer says. “There are early treatments to protect your heart and improve your life.”

Of course, asserts Latimer, an acute event like chest pain, neck pain and nausea should never be ignored. Other signs that indicate a heart problem include sweating, pain in neck, jaw, arm and upper back pain, heartburn, nausea, palpitations and lightheadedness.

Watch the video above to learn about all of the symptoms of early heart failure in this week’s episode of Wellness Wednesdays.

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Angiotensin Converting Enzyme Inhibitors

ACE inhibitors relax and widen your blood vessels. This helps to improve the flow of blood around your body, which reduces the amount of work your heart has to do.

ACE inhibitors have been shown to improve the symptoms of heart failure, reduce the need for hospital admission and improve life expectancy caused by heart failure.

Your symptoms should improve within a few weeks of starting treatment.

The main side effects of ACE inhibitors are dizziness and a cough. You will need to have regular blood tests, at least once every year, while taking an ACE inhibitor.

If you are taking an ACE inhibitor, you should check with your doctor or pharmacist before taking any other medicines. In particular, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines should not be taken with an ACE inhibitor. You should also avoid products containing high levels of potassium, such as salt substitutes.

Stage A Treatment Options

Treatment options in stage A mainly focus on promoting your overall health and disease prevention. If you meet the stage A criteria, your doctor will recommend lifestyle changes to slow or stop disease progression.

Heart Failure Doctor Discussion Guide

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Warning Signs And Symptoms Of Heart Failure In Adults

Heart failure becomes an increasing problem in recent days, particularly congestive heart failure. Heart failure is a condition in which the human heart fails to function appropriately. The term heart failure and congestive heart failure do not mean that the human heart has really failed or stopped yet mean one or even more chambers of the heart fail to keep up with the amount of blood flowing through them. Heart failure is resulted by a variety of underlying diseases as well as health problems.

Your condition might involve the right side, the left side or both sides of your heart. Heart failure often is a long-term, chronic condition that steadily gets worse. People with congestive heart failure sometimes do not suspect a problem with their own heart or have symptoms that might not obviously be from the heart.

Regarding to signs and symptoms of heart failure, there are some main symptoms, including:

The symptoms above happen because the heart loses strength and the ability to pump blood throughout the human body. In turn, blood could back up and lead to congestion in other body tissues, which is the reason why heart failure sometimes is named congestive. Additionally, excess fluid might pool in the failing portion of both the lungs and heart.

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Warning Signs Of Heart Failure

By themselves, any one sign of heart failure may not be cause for alarm. But if you have more than one of these symptoms, even if you haven’t been diagnosed with any heart problems, report them to a healthcare professional and ask for an evaluation of your heart. Congestive heart failure is a type of heart failure which requires seeking timely medical attention, although sometimes the two terms are used interchangeably.

If you have been diagnosed with heart failure, it’s important for you to manage and keep track of symptoms and report any sudden changes to your healthcare team.

This table lists the most common signs and symptoms, explains why they occur and describes how to recognize them.

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Stage D And Reduced E

Patients with Stage D HF-rEF have advanced symptoms that do not get better with treatment. This is the final stage of heart failure.

Stage D treatment

The usual treatment plan for patients with Stage D heart failure includes:

• Treatments listed in Stages A, B and C.
• Evaluation for more advanced treatment options, including:
• Heart transplant.
• Research therapies.

How Is Heart Failure Diagnosed

• Heart failure can be diagnosed by physical exam, reported symptoms, or chest X-ray.
• An echocardiogram test can identify a low ejection fraction or a thickened, stiff heart muscle.
• Echocardiograms may be used to distinguish between systolic and diastolic types of heart failure.
• Blood tests such as BNP suggest heart failure.
• Algorithms and guidelines exist to score and weigh signs and symptoms to help make the diagnosis.

Heart failure treatment options include making healthier decisions about lifestyle and diet, taking medications, and sometimes implanting devices. Heart transplant is sometimes considered for certain individuals.

In acute or decompensated heart failure, the person may need hospitalization or even intravenous medications to help recover.

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Stage B Treatment Options

While stage A CHF is managed with lifestyle changes, the treatment plan for stage B typically includes taking medications regularly. People at this stage should still make the same lifestyle changes as those appropriate for stage A. However, your doctor may also prescribe additional treatments such as:

• Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin II receptor blockers, if you arent taking any as part of your stage A treatment plan
• Beta blockers if youve had a heart attack and your EF is 40% or lower, if you arent taking any as part of your stage A treatment plan
• Aldosterone antagonists if you have had a heart attack or if you have diabetes and your ejection fraction is under 35%, to reduce the risk of your heart muscle getting bigger and pumping poorly
• Possible surgery or intervention as a treatment for coronary artery blockage, heart attack, valve disease, or congenital heart disease