Heart Failure
Heart failure is the result of damage to the heart muscle, which prevents the heart from pumping blood as well as it should. When your heart can’t pump with enough force or fill up its chambers with enough blood, it can’t supply enough fresh oxygen to your body. Heart failure can affect the right side, left side, or both sides of the heart. If you’re one of about 5.7 million Americans with heart failure, it’s important to know that treatment can ease your symptoms and improve your quality of life.
Symptoms of heart failure
Signs and symptoms of heart failure are due to a poor supply of freshly oxygenated blood to your body and organs. Symptoms can develop slowly and you may not even notice symptoms early in the disease. As the disease progresses, heart failure symptoms can become severe and include:
- Chest pain
- Chronic cough
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath, which can occur even at rest and often when lying down
- Swelling of the feet and ankles
- Unexplained weight gain
- Weakness
Call 911 immediately if you experience chest pain, congested cough, more shortness of breath than normal, or difficulty breathing.
Causes of heart failure
Heart failure is a common complication of heart attack and other heart conditions. This includes high blood pressure, heart valve disorders, arrhythmias, and heart muscle disease (cardiomyopathy). Other risk factors for heart failure include:
- Age 65 years or older
- Diabetes
- Excessive alcohol consumption
- Family history of heart disease
- Hyperthyroidism
- Obesity
- Severe anemia
- Smoking
Treatment and prevention of heart failure
Cardiologists use medications along with changes in diet and other lifestyle habits to treat heart failure. Treatment and prevention of heart failure aims to manage underlying diseases, minimize risk factors, and improve symptoms. Medications can reduce the heart’s workload, help the heart pump more blood, and reduce fluid buildup. Medication can also help treat underlying cardiovascular conditions that contribute to heart failure. Supplemental oxygen can ease breathing and increase oxygen delivery to the body.
Following a heart-healthy diet, reducing salt intake, maintaining a healthy body weight, and exercising are part of heart failure treatment and prevention. Cardiac rehabilitation and physical therapy can improve your activity level and quality of life.