Heart Failure – What is it, Causes and Treatments!
Heart Failure – What it is, Causes and Treatments and a silent and very dangerous disease. In addition, heart failure , also called congestive heart failure, is a disease in which the heart can no longer pump enough blood to the rest of the body, failing to meet its needs.
Heart failure affects an estimated 6 million Americans. Approximately 670,000 people are diagnosed with heart failure each year. It is the leading cause of hospitalization in people over the age of 65.
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What is Heart Failure:
Heart failure does not mean that the heart has stopped working. Rather, it means that the heart’s pumping power is weaker than normal. With heart failure , blood moves through the heart and body at a slower rate, and the pressure on the heart increases. As a result, the heart cannot pump enough oxygen and nutrients to meet the body’s needs.
The heart’s chambers may respond by stretching to hold more blood to pump through the body, or by becoming stiff and thickened.
This helps keep the blood moving, but the walls of the heart muscle can weaken and become unable to pump as efficiently. As a result, the kidneys may respond by causing the body to retain fluid (water) and salt.
What causes heart failure:
Heart failure is caused by many conditions that damage the heart muscle, including:
- Coronary artery disease . Coronary artery disease (CAD), a disease of the arteries that supply blood and oxygen to the heart, causes decreased blood flow to the heart muscle. If the arteries become blocked or severely narrowed, the heart is starved for oxygen and nutrients.
- Heart attack. A heart attack occurs when a coronary artery is suddenly blocked, stopping blood flow to the heart muscle. A heart attack damages the heart muscle, resulting in a scarred area that does not function properly.
- Cardiomyopathy. Damage to the heart muscle from causes other than artery or blood flow problems, such as infections or alcohol or drug abuse.
- Conditions that overwhelm the heart. Conditions including high blood pressure, valve disease, thyroid disease, kidney disease, diabetes, or heart defects present at birth can cause heart failure . Also, heart failure can occur when multiple diseases or conditions are present at the same time.
What are the Symptoms of Heart Failure:
- The symptoms of heart failure usually start slowly.
- At first, they may only appear when you are most active.
- Over time, breathing problems and other symptoms can start to be noticed even when resting.
However, symptoms of heart failure can also appear suddenly, right after a heart attack or other heart problem.
The most common symptoms of heart failure are:
- Shortness of breath from physical activity or right after lying down for a while
- Cough
- Swelling of the feet and ankles
- abdomen swelling
- Weight gain
- Irregular or rapid pulse
- Sensation of feeling the heartbeat (palpitations)
- difficulty sleeping
- Fatigue, weakness, fainting
- Loss of appetite, indigestion
- Decreased attention or concentration
- Reduction in the volume of urine
- nausea and vomiting
- Need to urinate at night
- Babies may sweat during feeding (or other activity).
Treatment of heart failure:
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The type of treatment to be indicated should be individualized for each patient and will depend on some factors such as: The cause of heart failure , the symptoms and clinical complications presented by the patient and the stage of the disease. The treatment. In general, the patient should restrict the use of salt, fluid intake and lose weight. You cannot eat fats and fried foods.