Heart Failure Causes, Symptoms And Treatment

What is heart failure?

In people with heart failure, the heart is not working properly. It has insufficient power to properly pump blood through the body.

What are the signs and symptoms of heart failure?

1. shortness of breath;
2. tiredness;
3. can little more.

These symptoms slowly get worse. New complaints also come from:

1. Ankles;
2. a big belly (due to fluid in the abdomen);
3. a tickling cough, especially when lying down;
4. restless sleep.

Heart failure has several causes. The most important are:

1. prolonged high blood pressure;
2. damage to the heart muscle by a heart attack;
3. diseases of the heart muscle, for example, carnitine;
4. angina pectoris.

If these diseases long have they strain the heart too much. Than heart failure develops. Heart failure is most common in the elderly.

The cardioog diagnoses. It does this through an electrocardiogram (ECG), to make a chest X-ray and an echocardiogram.

Heart failure can not be cured. It used to deadly heart failure but by better treatment options, people are living longer with these sick. To treat heart failure, there are special clinics. Most hospitals have such a clinic.

How do you get heart failure?

Causes of heart failure
Heart failure has several causes. The most frequent failure by:

1. scars on the heart muscle by a previous myocardial infarction;
2. long-lasting increase in blood pressure;
3. a disease of the heart muscle;
4. angina pectoris.

Sometimes heart failure by:

1. cardiac arrhythmias;
2. narrow or non-closing valves;
3. an autoimmune disease such as lupus and sarcoidosis:
4. a heart muscle disease by, for example, a virus or alcohol intoxication.

It also happens that the doctors find no obvious cause for heart failure.

What is the treatment for heart failure?

Heart failure usually can not pass. An exception is with heart failure as the cause malfunctioning heart valves. This type of failure can be cured with heart valve surgery. Some people with heart failure are eligible for a heart transplant.

But heart failure is usually chronic (persistent). Treatment consists of medication, diet and a pacemaker if your condition worsens.

You receive ACE inhibitors to lower your blood pressure. You receive beta blockers to improve the pumping power of your heart. Against the moisture that you hold, you get water pills (diuretics).

You also get the cardiologist dietary advice. Your best salt-free food. To prevent fluid retention. Also, you do not get to drink too much fluid the advice.
Drink little alcohol. Alcohol is bad for the heart muscle. Also, it is better if you stop smoking. For people with heart failure, it is important to live as healthy as possible.

People with severe heart failure can get a biventricular pacemaker. The pacemaker ensures that the heart can be powerful pumps.

People with heart failure due to heart rhythm disturbances get an ICD. This heart rate recovers.

The treatment of people with heart failure takes place in the heart failure clinic. Almost every hospital has such a clinic.