What is heart failure? Heart fail...

What is heart failure?

Heart failure happens when your heart can't cross-examine enough blood to meet your body's requires and causes poor blood roll on Poor blood flow has a bad efficiency on many of your body's organs, as it is as your brain, lungs, and kidneys.

In heart failure, your carcass holds onto salt and water. This makes your feet ankles, and leg swell. It also makes it hard to breathe. Heart failure can cause many kinds of symptoms.

for what reason does a person get heart failure?

These are the greatest in quantity common causes of heart failure:

* Coronary artery disease (also called hardening of the arteries)

* High vital fluid pressure that you've had for a in extent time

* Diabetes

* Heart attacks

* Thyroid problems

* Heart valve problems

* Heavy use of alcohol

Les for the use of all causes include congenital heart question s and infections of the heart caused on a virus.

in what way can my doctor tell that I have heart failure?

Your doctor will ask you about the symptoms of heart failure. These can include chronic tiredness, fluid retention and weight gain, swelling of the feet and ankles, and shortness of breath (at stillness with activity, or while sleeping).

Your doctor may find other signs of heart failure during an exam. Your doctor may order an echocardiogram. This special picture exhibit tos the doctor how the valves and chambers of your heart are working.

for what cause is heart failure treated?

Heart failure is treated with lifestyle changes, medicines, exercise, and conclude follow-up with your doctor. one tips are listed below:

Lifestyle Changes

* Quit smoking.

* Eat a diet gentle in fat and cholesterol.

* Limit salt in your diet. Avoid canned nutriments Don't add extra salt to food

* Limit or avoid alcohol.

* command your weight or lose weight.

Medicines (your doctor may combine several medicines.)

* Diuretics (also called water pills), to help your carcass get rid of extra salt and water

* Digoxin, to help your heart beat stronger

* Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers

* Beta blockers

* Spironolactone

* Other medicines to help superintendence blood pressure, lower cholesterol horizontals or control your thyroid gland

Exercise

* If you don't exercise now, ask your doctor before starting.

* Slowly work up to walking 20 or more minutes forward most days of the week.

* Start with an exercise program that is designed for commonalty with heart failure. Your doctor can help you find a program.

What can I expect?

Heart failure usually gains progressively worse over time. You can inactive this progression, however, by following your family physician's treatment advice, making the necessary lifestyle changes, and taking your medicines.

Can I stop heart failure from getting worse?

If you already have heart failure, a healthy lifestyle can help you perceive better. Try to do the following:

* Don't smoke

* Avoid alcohol and unsalable article abuse.

* Exercise 20 minutes or more principally days of the week.

* Eat a healthy diet. hold your weight as close to your ideal material substance weight as possible. If you are overweight, slowly squander weight over the next year and experience to keep the weight off

* bridle your blood pressure and cholesterol Lifestyle changes will help you do this. any people need medicine to reach their goals.

Where can I learn more about heart failure?

You can find public more about heart failure at the American Heart Association's Web site: http://www.americanheart.org.

COPYRIGHT 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group