Heart failure, sometimes known as congestive heart failure, occurs when your heart muscle doesn’t pump blood as well as it should. Certain conditions, such as narrowed arteries in your heart (coronary artery disease) or high blood pressure, gradually leave your heart too weak or stiff to fill and pump efficiently.
Not all conditions that lead to heart failure can be reversed, but treatments can improve the signs and symptoms of heart failure and help you live longer. Lifestyle changes — such as exercising, reducing sodium in your diet, managing stress and losing weight — can improve your quality of life.
One way to prevent heart failure is to prevent and control conditions that cause heart failure, such as coronary artery disease, high blood pressure, diabetes or obesity.
Symptoms
Heart failure can be ongoing (chronic), or your condition may start suddenly (acute).
Heart failure signs and symptoms may include:
Shortness of breath (dyspnea) when you exert yourself or when you lie down
Fatigue and weakness
Swelling (edema) in your legs, ankles and feet
Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Reduced ability to exercise
Persistent cough or wheezing with white or pink blood-tinged phlegm
Increased need to urinate at night
Swelling of your abdomen (ascites)
Very rapid weight gain from fluid retention
Lack of appetite and nausea
Difficulty concentrating or decreased alertness
Sudden, severe shortness of breath and coughing up pink, foamy mucus
Chest pain if your heart failure is caused by a heart attack
What are the causes of heart failure?
Heart failure often develops after other conditions have damaged or weakened your heart. However, the heart doesn’t need to be weakened to cause heart failure. It can also occur if the heart becomes too stiff.
In heart failure, the main pumping chambers of your heart (the ventricles) may become stiff and not fill properly between beats. In some cases of heart failure, your heart muscle may become damaged and weakened, and the ventricles stretch (dilate) to the point that the heart can’t pump blood efficiently throughout your body.
What are the risk factors for heart failure?
A single risk factor may be enough to cause heart failure, but a combination of factors also increases your risk.
Risk factors include:
High blood pressure. Your heart works harder than it has to if your blood pressure is high.
Coronary artery disease. Narrowed arteries may limit your heart’s supply of oxygen-rich blood, resulting in weakened heart muscle.
Heart attack. A heart attack is a form of coronary disease that occurs suddenly. Damage to your heart muscle from a heart attack may mean your heart can no longer pump as well as it should.
Diabetes. Having diabetes increases your risk of high blood pressure and coronary artery disease.
Some diabetes medications. The diabetes drugs rosiglitazone (Avandia) and pioglitazone (Actos) have been found to increase the risk of heart failure in some people. Don’t stop taking these medications on your own, though. If you’re taking them, discuss with your doctor whether you need to make any changes.
Certain medications. Some medications may lead to heart failure or heart problems. Medications that may increase the risk of heart problems include nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs); certain anesthesia medications; some anti-arrhythmic medications; certain medications used to treat high blood pressure, cancer, blood conditions, neurological conditions, psychiatric conditions, lung conditions, urological conditions, inflammatory conditions and infections; and other prescription and over-the-counter medications.
Don’t stop taking any medications on your own. If you have questions about medications you’re taking, discuss with your doctor whether he or she recommends any changes.
How to prevent heart failure?
The key to preventing heart failure is to reduce your risk factors. You can control or eliminate many of the risk factors for heart disease — high blood pressure and coronary artery disease, for example by making lifestyle changes along with the help of any needed medications.
Lifestyle changes you can make to help prevent heart failure include:
Not smoking
Controlling certain conditions, such as high blood pressure and diabetes
Staying physically active
Eating healthy foods
Maintaining a healthy weight
Reducing and managing stress
May God bless each one of you as you prevent diseases in bodies given by creator.
Dr Nsanzabera is a motivated health proffessional and an intense researcher on human life and natural remedies that can be used to treat multiple diseases.
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