Did you hear of heart failure? It is not a heart attack. But they are both forms of heart disease.
A heart attack is when the blood flow to the heart is suddenly reduced or blocked. Heart failure occurs when the heart should not be as good as. And it affects almost 3 million women a year.
If you understand this condition, you can know whether you are at risk – and what you can do about it.
The dangers of heart failure
Heart failure, which usually occurs over time with weak heart muscles, can lead to many serious problems, including:
- Kidney damage
- Liver damage
- Cardiac arrhythmia
- Sudden heart attack
- Malnutrition
- Breathing problems
The causes of heart failure
Everything that damages the heart or works too hard can lead to heart failure.
This includes health diseases such as:
- Constitious blood vessels (disease of the coronary arteries)
- Infection in the heart muscle (endocarditis)
- Last heart attack (myocardial infarction)
- Heart problems with which they were born (congenital heart defects)
- High blood pressure (high blood pressure)
- Type -2 -Diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
- Kidney disease
- Low red blood cell number (heavy anemia)
- Overactive or underactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism or hypothyroidism)
- Heartbeat that is too fast, too slow or irregular (arrhythmia or dysrhythmia)
- Certain viruses such as the herpes virus or influenza
Lifestyle factors can also increase their heart failure. Some of them are:
- Smoke
- Don’t get enough movement
- obesity
- Eating of food with high fat and cholesterol
For women – especially women after menopause – the most common causes of heart failure are:
- Hypertension
- Heart valve disease
- diabetes
- Coronary heart disease
Types of heart failure
Heart failure is divided into three main categories.
Left -sided heart failure occurs when the left side of the heart has to work harder to pump the same amount of blood. There are two types of left -wing heart failure:
- Systolic failure (also called heart failure with a reduced ejection fraction or Hfref) if the left lower chamber (ventricle) cannot normally tighten itself
- Diastolic failure (also heart failure with preserved ejection fraction or HfPEF) if the left lower chamber (ventricle) cannot relax as it should
Right -sided heart failure usually occurs due to a left -wing failure. If the left side of the heart does not pump enough blood, the pressure structure can damage the right side.
Heart failure occurs when the blood that returns to the heart through the veins withdraws and collects liquids. This can lead to swelling (edema) throughout the body, including in the lungs (pulmonary edema). This can make it difficult to breathe.
Heart failure can also prevent the kidneys from getting rid of sodium and water, which can make the swelling worse.
Signs and symptoms of heart failure
For some people, heart failure symptoms slowly arise. They can suddenly be for others.
The symptoms of heart failure can include:
- shortness of breath
- Feel tired or weak
- Faster or irregular heartbeat
- Swelling (edema) in the ankles, legs and feet
- Swelling in the stomach
- Bubble
- Cough that doesn’t disappear
- Stomach upset/loss of appetite/nausea
- Memory loss, the feeling disoriented, confusion
- Sudden weight gain or loss
If you experience one of these symptoms, be sure to check them with a health service provider (HCP).
Diagnosing heart failure
Heart failure is diagnosed using a combination of tools. First, an HCP asks about your medical history, including health problems or lifestyle decisions that could increase your risk of heart failure.
Your HCP will also ask how you felt. (It is a good idea to bring a list of symptoms when you see an HCP over your heart, together with a list of your medication.)
Next, your HCP gives you a physical examination and decides which tests should be ordered. (You can also send them to a cardiologist, a doctor who focuses on the heart.)
Some tests for diagnosis of heart failure are:
- Blood tests to check certain molecules
- Echocardiography (echo) to measure how much blood is pumped out of your left ventricle (ejection fraction)
- Other imaging tests such as an X-ray of the chest, a CT scan or MRI to see how well your heart works
- Electrocardiogram (EKG or EKG) to test the electrical activity of your heart
- Stretch test to see how your heart deals with movement
Treat heart failure
The treatment of heart failure depends on what it causes and how serious it is. Heart failure cannot be cured, so the goal of the treatment is to reduce symptoms and improve the quality of life.
Fortunately, the list of medication for the treatment of heart failure is long. Medications can include:
- Angiotensin-Converting-Ezym (ACE) inhibitor and angiotensin-II receptor blocker (ArbS), which expand the blood vessels to lower the workload of the heart
- Angiotensin receptor-neprilysin-inhibitors (Arnis), which is the combination of two blood pressure medication and can be used to expand blood vessels, reduce blood pressure and reduce the trunk of the heart
- Beta blocker who keep the heart from it, beat too quickly or hard
- Diuretics (water pills) that help the body get rid of additional liquid
- Sodium glucose Cotransporter -2 (SGLT2) inhibitor that help to lower blood sugar and often used as one of the first treatments in heart failure
- Aldosterone antagonists (also known as potassium stems), which are water tils that contribute to this
People with heart failure often need more than a medication.
Devices that can be helpful for people with heart failure include:
- Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Defibrillator (CRT-D)-A device that sends signals to the lower chambers of the heart to synchronize your left and right ventricles
- VAD (VAD assaults VAD), a device that helps the passion and is most frequently placed in the lower left chamber
Operation is not always necessary to treat the condition. However, there may be cases in which certain operations such as B. an operation to remove blocked arteries, to fix a heart valve defect or to redirect blood flow to the heart. A heart transplant may be necessary for people who cannot help other treatments.
Live with heart failure
If you change your lifestyle, you can also keep the symptoms of heart failure in chess. In this way you can be proactive, and small improvements can make a big difference. Changes to the lifestyle can include:
- Maintain a healthy weight
- Keep your blood sugar in chess when you have diabetes
- Put aside time for rest, relaxation and stress management
- Strengthen your heart with physical activity
- Eating heart -healthy foods such as vegetables and whole grain products eat
- Smoke
- Avoid or limit alcohol intake
- Protection against flu, pneumonia and covid with vaccines
A health service provider can also suggest a heart-rehab that includes the advice and training of movement, heart-friendly education and advice on coping with stress.
Together with your HCP, you can find out a treatment plan with which you can lead your best life with heart failure.
This educational resource was created with the support of Novartis.
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