Heart failure, also known as congestive heart failure, usually occurs when the heart muscle cannot pump the blood as it should. Something happens with the muscles, stopping the blood from pumping, which can cause shortness of breath, build up fluid in the lungs, and cause heart failure.
Various heart conditions can weaken the heart or cause failure, which is why it is vital to know everything about it and how you can keep a check. The change in lifestyle factors has a lot to do with how your heart functions or what kind of risks you hold of heart attack or stroke. Some multiple reasons and factors that can contribute to failure. Let’s discuss and learn more about the conditions which can weaken the heart:
Past heart attack
One of the most prominent heart failure causes can be having a heart attack in the past. Heart attack is caused when the blood supply to the heart muscle gets blocked, and no oxygen or nutrients flow into the muscle tissue. It can damage the heart tissue and weaken the heart’s ability to pump blood and keep it healthy.
High blood pressure
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HBP is another factor which can develop heart failure and cause issues for the heart to pump blood in the usual way. It can take a significant toll on the heart and weaken it, so it is essential to keep talking to your doctor and go for frequent checkups if there is any heart-related history in the family or otherwise.
Diabetes
Another one of the heart failure causes can be related to diabetes, as it is a huge risk for heart attacks and strokes. People with diabetes tend to develop hypertension, which can elevate blood levels and be linked to heart strokes.
Obesity
Obesity can make it difficult for the heart to function normally, pushing it to work more than needed. It can also cause sleep apnea which is harmful to the heart and can cause various issues.
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Coronary artery disease
If any fatty deposits start to build up in the heart’s arteries, it tends to stop the normal flow of the blood from reaching the heart muscles. Because less blood reaches the heart muscles, it can cause atherosclerosis and chest pain, which can further cause a heart attack. It can be one of the causes of high blood pressure, which might result in intense issues for the heart.
Heart problem from birth
Heart failure can also occur if you have heart problems from birth and if the chambers of your heart haven’t formed properly. The issue from birth can cause the heart to work harder to pump the blood for better working of the overall body, but it might lead to heart failure because of the extra pressure.
Heart rhythms
The heart rhythms are supposed to be normal; if there are any abnormal heart rhythms, it may lead to your heart beating faster than usual, creating more work for the heart, and it may lead to a heart attack or failure.
Several diseases and heart issues can cause failure in the long term, which is why annual checkups and eating habits are essential for a healthy heart. Get a full checkup if you have any allergic reaction or history of heart issues in the family.
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Here are the heart failure symptoms that you need to know about
- Weakness
- Reduced ability to exercise
- Any swelling in the belly area
- Nausea or lack of appetite
- Fatigue
- Shortness of breath while sleeping down or while doing any activity
- Difficulty in concentrating
- Chest pain
- Rapid weight gain
- Sleeping on extra pillows
- Irregular heart rate
- Heart palpitations
- Zero tolerance for exercises
- Swelling on the ankle or the leg
- Protruding neck veins
Different types of failures can happen, but to prevent anything, you can make sure to visit a professional as soon as you feel or go through any of these symptoms. Please do not wait for it to go to the extreme, and take action as soon as you experience something.
The heart failure treatment
The treatment of heart failure depends on various factors, and it differs from person to person. It depends on how critical your condition gets and what kind of failure you are experiencing, and accordingly, the doctor will opt for a treatment.
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If you get early treatment, then it can improve the symptoms and might prevent the failure from happening. Irrespective of what happens, it is always recommended to go for regular tests and screenings every 3 to 6 months to your doctor. The main objective of regular checkups is to increase the lifespan and have a healthy heart.
Here are a few treatments that can help
- The doctor might give you medication depending on the severity of the situation
- Bypass surgery if needed
- Transplant surgery
- A pacemaker
- An implantable cardioverter defibrillator
Medication
During the early stages of your failure, various medicines can help relieve the symptoms and prevent the condition from worsening as it reduces blood clots, cholesterol levels, and much more.
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Bypass surgery
Depending on the failure, some people might need a bypass surgery in which the doctor will take a healthy piece of your artery and attach it to your blocked coronary artery. It helps the blood flow through the new rather than the damaged one.
Transplant surgery
Transplant surgery is usually needed during the final stages of heart failure when everything else fails. In this surgery, the doctor replaces the heart of a donor.
A pacemaker
A pacemaker is needed to control heart rhythms, and a small device is placed in the chest to control the heart from beating too quickly.
Implantable cardioverter defibrillator
It is a battery-powered device that tracks the heart rate, and if any abnormal rhythm is detected, the shock restores the heart rate back to normal.
Conclusion
Heart failure is a long-term condition that might need treatments to prevent further complications. So various changes and checkups are needed to keep your heart healthy.
