Health
Check
Are you heading for Heart Failure?
Read on and find out
If you have heart failure, you may not have any symptoms, or the
symptoms may range from mild to severe. Symptoms can be constant or can
come and go. Heart failure symptoms are related to the changes that
occur to your heart and body, and the severity depends on how weak your
heart is. The symptoms can include:
•
Congested lungs
A weak heart causes fluid to back up in the lungs. This can cause
shortness of breath with exercise or difficulty breathing at rest or
when lying flat in bed. Lung congestion can also cause a dry, hacking
cough or wheezing.
• Fluid and water retention
A weak heart pumps less blood to your kidneys and causes fluid and
water retention, resulting in swollen ankles, legs, and abdomen (called
edema) and weight gain. This can also cause an increased need to urinate
during the night as your body attempts to get rid of this excess fluid.
Bloating in your stomach may cause a loss of appetite or nausea.
• Dizziness , fatigue, and weakness
Less blood to your major organs and muscles makes you feel tired and
weak. Less blood to the brain can cause dizziness or confusion.
• Rapid or irregular heartbeats
The heart beats faster to pump enough blood to the body. This can
cause a fast or irregular heartbeat.
If you have heart failure, you may have one or all of these symptoms
or you may have none of them. In addition, your symptoms may not be
related to how weak your heart is; you may have many symptoms but your
heart function may be only mildly weakened. Or you may have a more
severely damaged heart but have few symptoms.
How can you lessen heart failure symptoms?
To lessen symptoms of heart failure:
•Maintain fluid balance
Your doctor may ask you to keep a record of the amount of fluids you
drink or eat and how often you go to the bathroom. Remember, the more
fluid you carry in your blood vessels, the harder your heart must work
to pump excess fluid through your body. Limiting your fluid intake to
less than two liters per day will help decrease the workload of your
heart and prevent symptoms from recurring.
•Limit how much salt (sodium) you eat
•Monitor your weight and lose weight if needed
Learn what your ‘dry’ or ‘ideal’ weight is. This is your weight
without extra fluid. Your goal is to keep your weight within four pounds
of your dry weight. Weigh yourself at the same time each day, preferably
in the morning, in similar clothing, after urinating but before eating,
and on the same scale. Record your weight in a diary or calendar. If you
gain one kilogram in one day or 2 kilograms in one week, call your
doctor. Your doctor may want to adjust your medications.
•Monitor your symptoms
Call your doctor if new symptoms occur or if your symptoms worsen. Do
not wait for your symptoms to become so severe that you need to seek
emergency treatment.
•Take your medications as prescribed
Drugs are used to improve your heart’s ability to pump blood,
decrease stress on your heart, decrease the progression of heart
failure, and prevent fluid retention. Many heart failure drugs are used
to decrease the release of harmful hormones. These drugs will cause your
blood vessels to dilate or relax (thereby lowering your blood pressure).
-WebMd |