Heart failure is a long-term condition in which the heart loses the efficiency of pumping sufficient blood to meet bodily requirements. It can affect the left or right side of the heart or both as well. It occurs in two forms i.e. acute or chronic. In acute heart failure, the symptoms come suddenly and go away quickly. Some people can experience it after a heart attack. It is an outcome of issues with the heart valves controlling blood flow in the heart. In chronic heart failure, symptoms are constant and don’t get better over time.
According to a study, it is found that men experience heart failure more than women, however, women are more likely to die from this condition. Heart failure is a serious condition which requires immediate treatment.
The different types of heart failure are:
Heart failure is usually linked to other conditions and the most common cause is coronary artery disease. It is important to be mindful of other conditions which can cause heart failure. Here are the conditions that can increase the risk of heart failure:
The heart failure symptoms are:
Heart failure can occur to anyone. However, there are certain factors which can increase the risk of congestive heart failure. Here are some of them:
There are certain behaviours which also enhance the risk of heart failure, it includes:
When it comes to heart failure diagnosis, here are certain tests ordered by a healthcare expert:
Heart failure treatment depends on the condition severity and the heart failure type. Early treatment helps in improving the symptoms quickly, however, regular testing is still required. Here is the process followed for heart failure treatment:
Certain medications are recommended to relieve the symptoms and avert the condition from getting worse. These medications are blood thinners, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE), nitrates, cholesterol-lowering medications, hydralazine, and ivabradine in certain cases.
There are surgical options recommended for patients with severe cases of heart failure. It includes:
BM Birla Heart Research Centre is among the best cardiac hospitals specialising in cardiac healthcare services. We have incorporated a team of cardiologists and cardiac surgeons who have years of experience in their field. They are highly talented and skilled with technology. Our doctors ensure diagnosing the condition first so that the best treatment is offered to the patients. They ensure identifying the needs of a patient so that they are fulfilled capably. So, if you experience symptoms of heart failure or have had one, consult our cardiologists now.
It is difficult to reverse heart failure as it is a long-term condition. However, treatment can help ease the symptoms for years. The primary treatment usually recommended is healthy lifestyle changes.
There is no cure for heart failure but you can take certain steps to ease the symptoms with certain lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, limiting alcohol intake, regularly exercising, eating healthy and green vegetables, etc.
Usually, people who have experienced congestive heart failure can survive for around five years and around 35% of people can survive for around 10 years.
This surgical procedure is recommended for patients who have a higher risk or are too sick, or too old for open heart surgery. It was first tested in 2002 on patients with severe aortic stenosis (a narrowing of the aortic valve opening), who were considered unfit for open heart surgery.
Heart failure is a serious condition marked by the inefficiency of the heart muscles to pump blood to different parts of the body. Also referred to as congestive heart failure, the condition can prove to be life-threatening if not addressed immediately. Such patients are often recommended to undergo a heart transplant, a surgical procedure that involves the replacement of a diseased or non-functional part of the patient’s heart with a healthy heart taken from a deceased donor.
Over the past few decades, various innovations and advancements in the field of cardiology have helped us to learn more and more about the human heart, its functioning, and the diseases that affect it.