Factors That Can Worsen Symptoms Of Heart Failure
The symptoms of heart failure can be worsened by a number of factors, including:
- anaemia
- too much salt, fluid, or alcohol in the diet
- pregnancy
- some viral and bacterial infections
- kidney diseases
Treatment for heart failure may include:
- medicines, such as
- diuretics to remove excess fluid and improve symptoms of heart failure
- mineralcortiocoid receptor antagonists are also recommended and used in most patients with heart failure to reduce mortality and hospitalisation
- ACE inhibitors to open up blood vessels, reduce blood pressure and reduce sodium retention and water retention
- certain beta-blockers to slow the heart rate and reduce its work
- aldosterone blockers to reduce blood pressure and reduce the effects of damage to the heart muscle
- ACE inhibitors, beta blockers and aldosterone blockers can increase survival and reduce the likelihood of hospitalisation.
What Causes Congestive Heart Failure
You may develop CHF due to coronary artery disease or high blood pressure. Such conditions gradually leave your heart too weak or stiff to work effectively. CHF is more common in people who are 65 years old or older. Men, African Americans, those who are overweight, and people who have had a heart attack are also at greater risk.
New Moms And Heart Failure Risk
A study published in January 2018 in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure found that women are most at risk for heart failure within the first six weeks after delivery, also known as the postpartum period.
The research supports the notion that at-risk women need closer observation postpartum.
The researchers also say that because many women are discharged from hospital care just a couple of days after they give birth and arent given a follow-up until about six weeks later, the way doctors regard women who might be at risk of heart failure needs to change.
They call for comprehensive discharge health education, with emphasis on signs and symptoms to look for and when or where to seek immediate care.
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When To Call The Doctor
- You are tired or weak.
- You feel short of breath when you are active or when you are at rest.
- You feel short of breath when you lie down, or an hour or two after falling asleep.
- You are wheezing and having trouble breathing.
- You have a cough that does not go away. It may be dry and hacking, or it may sound wet and bring up pink, foamy spit.
- You have swelling in your feet, ankles, or legs.
- You have to urinate a lot, particularly at night.
- You have gained or lost weight.
- You have pain and tenderness in your belly.
- You have symptoms that you think might be from your medicines.
- Your pulse, or heartbeat, gets very slow or very fast, or it is not steady.
When To Seek Hospice Care
Even physicians have difficulty determining life expectancy for people with end-stage heart-failure. The condition can be unpredictable, and symptoms can change. However, certain signs can indicate that hospice care would be beneficial, including:
- frequent chest pain
- significant fatigue or shortness of breath
- substantial decline in ability to do daily activities, such as self-care
- The patient has already received the best possible treatment, which are no longer working well, and the patient is not a candidate for other interventions.
- The patient has received the best possible treatment and has decided to decline further specialized interventions.
People can be reluctant to start hospice, as they may worry it means theyre giving up or that it will hasten death. But such concerns are unfounded. In fact, patients and families often wish they had started hospice sooner, because it makes such a positive difference in their lives. And research shows that early admission to hospice results in greater satisfaction with care among patients and family caregivers.
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Low Oxygen Levels: How Low Is Too Low And Should You Worry
Low oxygen levels will rob you of your eye sight, short term memory, and your energy. Eventually low oxygen levels will weaken your heart muscle.
Heart Failure IS -> Progressive weakening of your heart muscle!
The world is facing an epidemic of heart failure! This ONE health crisis will rob more productive work years from Americans than any other.
When To Get Medical Advice
See a GP if you experience persistent or gradually worsening symptoms of heart failure.
Call 999 for an ambulance or go to your nearest A& E department as soon as possible if you have sudden or very severe symptoms.
A number of tests can be used to help check how well your heart is working, including blood tests, an ECG and an echocardiogram.
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What Is Heart Failure Causes Symptoms Risk Factors And Treatments
Heart failure happens when the heart cannot pump enough blood and oxygen to support other organs in your body. Heart failure is a serious condition, but it does not mean that the heart has stopped beating. Although it can be a severe disease, heart failure is not a death sentence, and treatment is now better than ever.
When this happens, blood and fluid may back up into the lungs , and some parts of the body dont get enough oxygen-rich blood to work normally. These problems lead to the symptoms of heart failure.
Heart failure develops because the heart muscle becomes weak or loses the ability to pump normally. The Ejection Fraction is a percent that lets us know how the heart is squeezing . If the heart isnt “squeezing” well to get enough blood to your body, you have heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction . If the heart can’t “relax” to fill with enough blood between contractions, you have heart failure with preserved ejection fraction . Heart muscle weakening and damage is often called cardiomyopathy, which literally means “heart muscle disease.”
Is Congestive Heart Failure And Heart Failure The Same Thing
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Heart failure occurs when the heart muscle fails to pump as much blood as the body needs. If this retained fluid builds up, the condition is called congestive heart failure. In the early stages of congestive heart failure, there may be no symptoms.
Secondly, what is the life expectancy of someone with congestive heart failure? Life expectancy with congestive heart failure varies depending on the severity of the condition, genetics, age, and other factors. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , around one-half of all people diagnosed with congestive heart failure will survive beyond five years.
People also ask, what are the 4 stages of congestive heart failure?
There are 4 stages of heart failure . The stages range from “high risk of developing heart failure” to “advanced heart failure,” and provide treatment plans. Ask your healthcare provider what stage of heart failure you are in.
What are the last signs of congestive heart failure?
Patients in the end stages of heart failure want to know what to expect. The symptoms of end-stage congestive heart failure include dyspnea, chronic cough or wheezing, edema, nausea or lack of appetite, a high heart rate, and confusion or impaired thinking.
Warning signs of worsening heart failure
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Signs And Symptoms Of Congestive Heart Failure
During heart failure, the body tries to compensate for reduced blood flow in other ways by:
- Enlarging the Heart Chamber By doing this, the heart muscle stretches in an attempt to contract more strongly in order to pump more blood. Initially, this may help the heart function more efficiently, but ultimately it causes the heart to function inefficiently and your body to retain fluid, leading congestion in the lungs.
- Developing More Muscle Mass This happens because the contracting cells of the heart get bigger, which initially lets the heart pump more strongly.
- Pumping Faster This is to increase your heart’s output.
- Diverting Blood This means taking blood away from other tissues and organs such as the kidneys, the heart, and brain.
These compensations may mask heart failure temporarily, but eventually heart failure gets worse, and people start to experience symptoms.
The signs of heart failure can seem similar to those of normal aging and can be easy to ignore. This may explain why it takes some people years to realize that they have heart failure, notes the AHA.
Heart failure has a combination of symptoms rather than just one. To help identify the signs of heart failure, the Heart Failure Society of America developed the acronym FACES to use as a guide:
- F: Fatigue
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.
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What Foods Should Be Avoided With Congestive Heart Failure
- Salt When you have heart failure, you absolutely must avoid salt.
- Potato Chips. Potato chips represent a classic âworst foodâ for people with heart failure because they’re high in both fat and sodium.
- Wine.
The most common causes of congestive heart failure are:
- Coronary artery disease.
- Disorders of the disorders of the heart valves.
- Unknown causes, such as after recovery from myocarditis.
What Types Of Congestive Heart Failure Are There
Your heart consists of four chambers, with the upper two being the left and right atria, and the lower two being the left and right ventricles. The atria receive blood as it enters the heart so that the ventricles can then pump it through the bodys circulatory system and supply blood to the bodys tissues and organs.
There are two main types of CHF, with the most common being left-sided CHF and the other being right-sided CHF.
Left-sided CHF occurs when the left ventricle cant pump enough blood. This results in the lungs filling with fluid, causing breathing to become difficult.
This may be due to either:
- Systolic failureSystolic failure occurs when the left ventricle cant contract normally, which prevents it from moving enough blood through the circulatory system.
- Diastolic failureWith diastolic failure, the muscles of the left ventricle become rigid. This prevents the chamber from refilling with enough blood to then be pumped through the circulatory system.
With right-sided CHF, the right ventricle is unable to pump enough blood to the lungs which can result in blood accumulating in the bodys vessels. This causes fluid buildup in the lower extremities, abdomen and other vital organs.
While it is possible to have both right-sided and left-sided CHF at the same time, the disease typically starts on the left and moves to the right as it progressively worsens. This is why early detection and treatment are critical.
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Initial Stages Of Chf
In the initial, mild stage A, there are underlying high-risk factors for CHF such as smoking or high blood pressure. However, the affected person has no symptoms or limitations at rest or with physical activity and there are no signs of CHF on evaluation by a doctor.
In stage B, the person develops mild symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, or heart palpitations with routine physical activity. There are minor signs of heart dysfunction on a doctor’s evaluation. There might also be a mild, intermittent collection of fluid, known as edema, in the ankles and feet.
Taking Action Against Fluid Retention
If you gain more than 2 pounds in a day or 4 pounds in a week, Dr. Eldrin advises taking these steps:
- Think about the foods you ate in the days before your weight gain and look for sources of extra sodium or fluid in your diet that you may be able to eliminate.
- If your weight doesn’t return to normal in a day or two, call your doctor or nurse for advice. You may need to increase your diuretic medicine or reconsider how much fluid you are drinking.
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So How Low Is Too Low
7 Facts to Remember About Blood Oxygen Saturation Levels
1. When oxygen saturation levels fall below 92%, the pressure of the oxygen in your blood is too low to penetrate the walls of the red blood cells. It is a matter of gas laws.
2. Your insurance company may not pay for oxygen unless your levels fall to 88% oxygen saturation. This has nothing to do with what is best for you, it is just the point at which your insurance is willing to pay.
3. Every time your oxygen level falls below 92% saturation the cells of your body are oxygen starved.
4. When you fail to meet your oxygen needs, every organ in your body suffers the consequences.
5. Low oxygen levels may be present only at certain times.
- when retaining excessive fluid
- when airways are reacting to irritants
- with respiratory illness
- sleep apnea
- about 3:00am when you wake gasping for air
- with activity when your heart muscle has become weak, though isnt technically congestive heart failure.. yet
6. Recurring low oxygen levels are harmful and should be treated with supplemental oxygen.
7. The problem is that your doctor may not witness your oxygen levels at 88%, and if he doesnt see that reading on an oxygen meter , then most insurance companies will not pay for it, and therefore doctors dont order it.
Low oxygen levels are definitely something to worry about!
If you feel you may be experiencing low oxygen levels be sure to ask your doctor to check your pulse oximetry reading.
Symptoms of low oxygen are:
When To Talk To Your Doctor
If left untreated, CHF can be life-threatening. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms of CHF, talk to your doctor. If you are experiencing any of the following, seek immediate emergency care:
- Chest pain
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat, especially if accompanies by chest pain, shortness of breath, or fainting
- Sudden shortness of breath and coughing pink, foamy mucus
Congestive heart failure is a serious condition, but by collaborating with your doctor and making healthy lifestyle changes, you can minimize the disruptive symptoms and continue participating in your daily work and life activities.
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What Happens In Congestive Heart Failure
The heart has four chambers, a left atrium and right atrium and a left ventricle and right ventricle. Normally, blood:
But in heart failure, the heart cant pump the way it should. The blood and oxygen dont get to the organs. And blood backs up in the heart.
Congestive Heart Failure Symptoms
Signs of heart failure can appear in anyone at any age, even in young children that may be born with heart defects. But it usually affects older people with weakened hearts from other diseases.
There may be no symptoms in the early stages, but people start having symptoms in stage II and they get progressively worse, especially without treatment.
Symptoms include:
- Feelings of anxiety, suffocation and restlessness
- Hacking, dry cough that happens more often when lying down
- Having to urinate more often at night
- Lung congestion and difficulty breathing from blood backing up into the lungs
- Nausea, abdominal swelling, tenderness or pain
- Swelling from fluid buildup, especially in the feet, ankles and legs
- Weight gain from fluid buildup or weight loss from poor nutrient absorption and decreased appetite
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What Is Congestive Heart Failure
Congestive heart failure is a condition in which the muscles of your heart are no longer able to pump blood effectively. Its a long-term condition that usually gets worse over time, but treatment can slow the condition.
Its often referred to as heart failure, although CHF is specific to the stage of the condition where fluid collects around the heart. This puts it under pressure and causes it to pump inadequately.
The symptoms of CHF range in severity depending on what stage of the condition you are in. They are:
- shortness of breath
| moderate symptoms that noticeably limit everyday activities | |
| Class 4 | severe symptoms that are noticeable at rest |
The prognosis for CHF varies greatly between people, as many factors contribute to an individuals prognosis.
However, largely speaking, if CHF is discovered in its earlier stages and properly managed, you can expect a far better prognosis than if its discovered much later.
Some people whose CHF is discovered early and treated promptly and effectively can hope to have a nearly normal life expectancy.
What Are The Symptoms Of Congestive Heart Failure
Daniel Louis Jacoby, MD, director of Yale Medicines General Heart Failure Program and the Cardiomyopathy Inherited Cardiovascular Disease Program, says that symptoms may be mild or severe and may not always be noticeable.
Most commonly, though, a patient may experience shortness of breath, fatigue, problems with the hearts rhythm called arrhythmias, and edemaor fluid buildupin the legs, he says.
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