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.
Nitrates Apresoline Beta Blockers And Inotropes Drugs For Congestive Heart Failure
Nitrates are venous vasodilators that include isosorbide mononitrate and isosorbide dinitrate . They are commonly used in combination with an arterial vasodilator, such as hydralazine .
- Nitroglycerin is a nitrate preparation that is administered to treat acute chest pain, or angina.
Hydralazine is a smooth muscle arterial vasodilator that may be used for congestive heart failure. Clinical trial data has shown hydralazine plus nitrates to be especially effective in African-Americans with heart failure, when used in addition to ACE inhibitors or ARBs.
- Isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine is a fixed dose combination of isosorbide dinitrate and hydralazine . This drug is indicated for heart failure in African-Americans based in part on results of the African American Heart Failure Trial .
- Hydralazine is also especially valuable in patients who have poor kidney function and/or are intolerant to ACE inhibitors and ARBs.
Beta-blockers: These drugs slow down the heart rate, lower blood pressure, and have a direct effect on the heart muscle to lessen the workload of the heart. Specific beta-blockers, such as carvedilol and long-acting metoprolol , have been shown to decrease symptoms, hospitalization due to congestive heart failure, and deaths. Other beta-blockers include bispropolol , atenolol , propranolol , and , but they are generally not used with significant congestive heart failure.
Getting the most out of congestive heart failure medications involves the following:
Congestive Heart Failure: The 4 Stages Symptoms And Causes
Heart failure on its own without context just sounds dire. And while its obviously serious, there is a lot more to know about it. For example, there are various stages of congestive heart failure, and they mean different things in terms of treatment and outlook.
To help clear up any misconceptions from this scary-sounding medical term, lets take a closer look at what congestive heart failure is, its main symptoms, and what to expect if a doctor has diagnosed you. Well also give you some tips on how to manage it to maximize your quality of life
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Our Favorite Online Support Groups
Sponsored by the American Association of Heart Failure Nurses, this online support community for any person who has been affected by heart failure allows you to connect with others and to hear from real medical experts. There is also a resource section which has information on things like low-salt cookbooks and patient tips to get through the holidays.
This network has tracks for various heart conditions where you can post questions, share your story, and learn more about your condition. Once you sign up to become a part of the community, you will receive personalized content based on your condition and concerns.
Heart Failure & Lifestyle Changes
If you have CHF, changes in lifestyle are important. Quit smoking, limit alcoholic beverage consumption , and aim for a BMI of less than 30. Increasing your activity level is key, too. The American Heart Association recommends every adult exercise for at 30 minutes every day.
Diagnosing heart failure in patients requires a thorough evaluation including:
- The patient’s medical and family history
- A physical examination
- Assessment of the patient’s cardiac structure and function
- Evaluation of any arrhythmias , coronary disease and myocardial ischemia
A visit to the physician will also help identify any physical conditions or genetic factors that may increase a patient’s risk, such as a prior heart attack or stroke, uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, congenital defects, valvular heart disease from rheumatic fever, heart valve diseases or cardiomyopathy .
Some patients, however, are asymptomatic.
What puts you at high risk? Coronary heart disease, peripheral vascular disease, stroke or diabetes.
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Common Signs And Symptoms Of Heart Failure
It is very important for you to manage your other health conditions, such as diabetes, kidney disease, anemia, high blood pressure, thyroid disease and asthma or chronic lung disease. Some conditions have signs and symptoms that are similar to heart failure. If you have new or worsening non-urgent symptoms, tell your healthcare provider.
What Are The Types Of Heart Failure
Systolic dysfunction happens when the heart muscle doesn’t contract with enough force, so there is less oxygen-rich blood pumped throughout the body.
Diastolic dysfunction happens when the heart contracts normally, but the ventricles donât relax properly or are stiff, and less blood enters the heart during normal filling.
A calculation done during an echocardiogram, called the ejection fraction , is used to measure how well your heart pumps with each beat to help determine if systolic or diastolic dysfunction is present. Your doctor can discuss which condition you have.
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Possible Causes Of Congestive Heart Failure
WebMD says there are a number of possible reasons why one would develop CHF, largely due to sustained damage. For example, it says that a heart attack that blocks your coronary artery can cease the blood flow to your heart muscle. Meanwhile, other factors that can damage the heart include infections and substance abuse.
The source explains that diseases such as thyroid disease and diabetes can be causes of heart failure. Coronary artery disease in particular can limit the supply of blood to the heart muscle due to an issue with the arteries . Other health conditions such as high blood pressure can also contribute to CHF.
Black And Hispanic Communities And Congestive Heart Failure
Black Americans have a higher risk of congestive heart failure than white Americans, according to an article published in October 2018 in Cardiology.
A 2020 study published in JAMA Cardiology found that non-Hispanic Black Americans ages 35 to 64 had a prevalence of heart failure almost 3 times that of their white counterparts.
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Acute Decompensated Heart Failure
Chronic heart failure is the stage in which the heart condition is stable. Chronic heart failure can sometimes progress to acute decompensated heart failure in which the symptoms worsen and increase the risk of respiratory failure.
ADHF if often triggered by an instigating event such as:
- Heart attack
- Arrhythmia
Tips For Managing Congestive Heart Failure End
You may be asking, How can I provide comfort to my loved one as they experience the end-of-life signs of congestive heart failure? Its only natural that you as a loved one and/or caregiver will want to be as helpful as possible, and ensure that your loved one is experiencing as little pain as possible. Heres some ways you can help:
- Communicate with the doctors and healthcare professionals: Your loved one may be too weak, or simply forget, to communicate their symptoms to the doctors and nurses. You can help by sharing this information with them in order to make sure your loved one gets what they need.
- Provide comfort: Sometimes it is just as simple as spending time with your loved one while watching a TV show, or talking about things they love. These conversations can help in alleviating some of their depression and anxiety.
- Help them remember to take their medicine: There will likely be various pills and medications that your loved one needs to take. You can help by assisting your loved one in staying on schedule.
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Congestive Heart Failure Life Expectancy
Your life expectancy after receiving a diagnosis of congestive heart failure will depend upon several factors. Among them:
The current stage of progression of your heart failure
The underlying causes of your heart failure
The degree to which other organs are involved with your heart failure
The way your body responds to treatment
Although a diagnosis of congestive heart failure will probably mean major life changes and treatment for the rest of your life, it is important to keep in mind that there are things you can do to stay healthier longer and maximize the quality of your life.
Congestive Heart Failure Treatment
The treatment program for heart failure depends on the severity of your condition. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve symptoms quite quickly.
The goal of any heart failure treatment is to relieve symptoms and increase your lifespan. Medications are typically prescribed to alleviate symptoms and to prevent the condition from getting worse. Medications are designed to improve the hearts ability to pump blood, reduce blood clots and cholesterol, and to remove excess sodium.
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What Medications Should I Avoid If I Have Heart Failure
There are several different types of medications that are best avoided in those with heart failure including:
- Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications such as Motrin or Aleve. For relief of aches, pains, or fever take Tylenol instead.
- Most calcium channel blockers
- Some nutritional supplements, such as salt substitutes, and growth hormone therapies
- Antacids that contain sodium
If youâre taking any of these drugs, discuss them with your doctor.
Itâs important to know the names of your medications, what theyâre used for, and how often and at what times you take them. Keep a list of your medications and bring them with you to each of your doctor visits. Never stop taking your medications without discussing it with your doctor. Even if you have no symptoms, your medications decrease the work of your heart so that it can pump more effectively.
Stress Is A Formidable Force In The Lives Of Many People In This World Today While Stress May Not Seem To Permanently Affect People It Is A Very
Barbie Dec 19, 2021 01:57
Stress is a formidable force in the lives of many people in this world today. While stress may not seem to permanently affect people, it is a very serious cause and/or aggravation to medical conditions a person has. First, it is important to discuss what the true definition of stress is. If asked, the average person on the street might say that stress is anything that causes worry to ones life. They might give examples like arguing with a spouse, financial problems, or childrens bad behavior. While these are examples of one kind of stress, stress is also much more. By definition, stress is the bodys reaction to change that requires any kind of change or response. Besides emotional and mental reactions to these changes, the body experiences physical responses as well. Stress is a very normal part of life and depending on how one reacts to it, can be positive or negative. While this is true, many people let stress affect them negatively.
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What Is The Treatment For Congestive Heart Failure
The treatment of heart failure depends on the exact cause, but it can usually be treated effectively. The overall goals are to correct underlying causes, to relieve symptoms, and to prevent worsening of the condition. Symptoms are relieved by removing excess fluid from the body, improving blood flow, improving heart muscle function, and increasing delivery of oxygen to the body tissues. This can be done by the various congestive heart failure treatments listed in this sections.
If the underlying cause of heart failure is not correctable by surgery or catheterization procedures, medical treatment is composed of lifestyle changes and medications.
Examples Of Congestive Heart Failure In A Sentence
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These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word ‘congestive heart failure.’ Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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Etiology Congestive Heart Failure
There are numerous causes for systolic heart failure, but the most common is related to coronary artery disease and prior myocardial infarctions. This entity is termed an ischemic cardiomyopathy and accounts for nearly half of systolic heart failure cases in the United States.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is the second leading cause of systolic HF. This can be idiopathic , a viral cardiomyopathy, peripartum and hypertensive heart disease . These include doxorubicin therapy, stress-induced , alcohol-related, selenium or thiamine deficiency, tachycardia-mediated, giant cell arteritis, hyperthyroidism, cocaine use, obstructive sleep apnea and familial cardiomyopathies.
The third leading cause of systolic HF is valvular heart disease. This includes aortic valve stenosis, aortic valve regurgitation, mitral valve stenosis and mitral regurgitation. In many developing nations, the most common cause of systolic HF is Chagas disease, which is related to Trypanosoma cruzi and transmitted by triatomine bugs.
Recall that right heart failure and diastolic heart failure are different entities from the left-sided systolic heart failure reviewed here. The most common cause of right HF is pressure overload related to left HF. Diastolic HF is most commonly caused by hypertension as a part of hypertensive heart disease. Aging of the heart contributes to diastolic HF as well.
Precipitating Causes Of Heart Failure
A previously stable, compensated patient may develop heart failure that is clinically apparent for the first time when the intrinsic process has advanced to a critical point, such as with further narrowing of a stenotic aortic valve or mitral valve. Alternatively, decompensation may occur as a result of the failure or exhaustion of the compensatory mechanisms but without any change in the load on the heart in patients with persistent, severe pressure or volume overload. In particular, consider whether the patient has underlying coronary artery disease or valvular heart disease.
The most common cause of decompensation in a previously compensated patient with heart failure is inappropriate reduction in the intensity of treatment, such as dietary sodium restriction, physical activity reduction, or drug regimen reduction. Uncontrolled hypertension is the second most common cause of decompensation, followed closely by cardiac arrhythmias . Arrhythmias, particularly ventricular arrhythmias, can be life threatening. Also, patients with one form of underlying heart disease that may be well compensated can develop heart failure when a second form of heart disease ensues. For example, a patient with chronic hypertension and asymptomatic LV hypertrophy may be asymptomatic until an MI develops and precipitates heart failure.
- Profound anemia
- Pregnancy
- Nutritional deficiencies
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Congestive Heart Failure And Congenital Defects
The purpose of the heart is to pump blood to the body in order to nourish it. Heart failure doesn’t mean that the heart has stopped working, but that it just isn’t able to pump enough blood to meet the needs of the body.
This may happen when the heart muscle itself is weaker than normal or when there is a defect in the heart that prevents blood from getting out into the circulation. When the heart does not circulate blood normally, the kidneys receive less blood and filter less fluid out of the circulation into the urine. The extra fluid in the circulation builds up in the lungs, the liver, around the eyes, and sometimes in the legs. This is called fluid “congestion” and for this reason doctors call this “congestive heart failure”.
Older children with congestive heart failure may be tired and have problems keeping up with their friends on the playground, while infants with congestive heart failure usually have symptoms during feeding including sweating, fast breathing and fatigue. In addition, these infants may not gain weight well. Fluid may also build up in the rest of the body, causing swelling of the feet, the legs or around the eyes.
Written by American Heart Association editorial staff and reviewed by science and medicine advisers. See our editorial policies and staff.
How Is Heart Failure Diagnosed
Your doctor will ask you many questions about your symptoms and medical history. Youâll be asked about any conditions you have that may cause heart failure . Youâll be asked if you smoke, take drugs, drink alcohol , and about what drugs you take.
Youâll also get a complete physical exam. Your doctor will listen to your heart and look for signs of heart failure as well as other illnesses that may have caused your heart muscle to weaken or stiffen.
Your doctor may also order other tests to determine the cause and severity of your heart failure. These include:
Other tests may be ordered, depending on your condition.
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What Is Congestive Heart Failure Symptoms Causes Diagnosis Treatment And Prevention
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart doesnt pump as well as it should.
While the term “heart failure” may sound like the heart has stopped working, that isn’t actually the case. It still pumps, just inefficiently.
As a result, there’s a reduction in blood flow to the body and a backup of fluid into the lungs, liver, abdomen, and lower extremities.
Heart failure is a serious condition that is often the end stage or final outcome of many cardiovascular conditions, according to the American Heart Association .
While there’s no cure for heart failure, medication and healthy lifestyle changes can help manage the condition and allow people to maintain a good quality of life.
How Is Chf Diagnosed
After reporting your symptoms to your doctor, they may refer you to a heart specialist, or cardiologist.
The cardiologist will perform a physical exam, which will involve listening to your heart with a stethoscope to detect abnormal heart rhythms.
To confirm an initial diagnosis, a cardiologist might order certain diagnostic tests to examine your hearts valves, blood vessels, and chambers.
There are a variety of tests used to diagnose heart conditions. Because these tests measure different things, your doctor may recommend a few to get a full picture of your current condition.
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